Scavenger
by CGFlare
Summary: At ten years old and alone for the first time in her life Fara Knight has started her Pokemon Journey. However she has no clue on what she wants to do. It is only by circumstance that she finds out about the Pokemon item hunting career called Scavenging. Starting on a path fraught with adventure and danger she fights to find her own place in the world with her Pokémon friends.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter One: Nowe Poczatki

It was still dark with only a hint of gray signaling a new day at Viridian City's Group Home. Despite the early hour Fara Knight was wide awake, preparing for what many ten year olds dreamed about, her pokemon journey. She was finishing her review of the check list she had painstakingly made for the journey. Besides the basic tent, hiking boots, clothing, and food she had added a variety of items per the suggestion of senior trainers she had spoken to at the local Pokemon Center. A frown marked her brow as she worriedly checked off items in her list for the third time.

Journey List

All weather trail tent

Tarp

Emergency weather blanket

Sleeping Bag (Good to 30 degrees)

Rain Jacket

Flint

Waterproof matches

First Aid Kit (For Humans)

First Aid Kit (For pokemon)

Water carrier

Water filtration tablets

2 week supply of dried food supply (human)

2 week supply of general pokemon food (1 pokemon)

Compass

Water proof map

Flash light (solar chargeable)

Radio (solar)

3 sets of warm weather clothing

3 sets of cool weather clothing

Hiking boots

7 pair of wool socks

Undergarments

Vest

Winter jacket

Gloves (Winter and fingerless)

500 ft of nylon rope

Duck tape

General Camp Repair kit

Camp cookware and utensils

Multi tool

Pocket knife

Wet stone

It was a lengthy list and it had cost her a lot of pokedollars. Years of lawn mowing, saved allowances, and chores for the neighbors had given her just enough for the bare necessities and her trainer's license. She wouldn't dare spend the trainers fund issued by the Viridian City for orphans. While a lot of money, she had heard one to many horror stories from the Pokemon Center about kids who spent their money on fancy pokeballs and potions only to get lost, get hurt, or starve because they didn't have the necessary provisions.

Swiping an errant brown curl from her green eyes Fara checked again, not out of necessity but nerves. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Making a journey was something the rest of the kids at the Home would never do. Once you left you were practically on your own. You were treated as an adult and couldn't return. Sure there was a sponsored Guardian that was technically responsible for your well being but that was only in regards to medical necessity or if you got into trouble with the law. You didn't get money or help from them in general.

The basic trainer's stipend was pathetic. A trainer's license and a premium starter pokemon (charmander, bulbasaur, or squirtel) came to around 1500 pokedollars. The lump fund that they were handed came to about 1000 pokedollars and the stipend was only about 50 pokedollars. Ever the shrew when it came to money, Fara was saving that for emergencies only. She still had about 100 pokedollars left from her saved funds for a pokemon. She had already picked out a little Pidgey from Mr. Davies' aviary on Coral lane. It was waiting for her to come back from Professor Oak's lab with her pokedevice. 'No license no pokemon' as Mr. Davis said.

Fara had helped him with feeding the pokemon and cleaning the aviary out for the last six months and he had been kind enough to offer one of the hatchlings for a discounted price. She grinned a little, contrary to the Home kids beliefs; this wasn't an ordinary Pidgey hatchling. Mr. Davis bred and trained superior avian pokemon, primarily from the Pidgey line, for the government's postal services. A former league top eight ranker he has specialized in aviary pokemon and had taken his passion for them from battling to breeding. He didn't breed his champion level Pidgeot often but she had laid a set of eggs in the beginning of spring. The three little eggs had hatched four weeks ago.

Mr. Davis had given her the pick of the hatchlings and she had chosen the only male. Smaller compared to his sisters, she had found that he had twice the spunk as them and had been smitten. In fact, the little rascal had already bitten Mr. Davis five times. She sometimes wondered if the discount wasn't more because Mr. Davis wanted to get rid of him.

Focusing back on the task Fara realized she had checked as much as she could and it was time to repack. Anxiety twisted her stomach in knots as she began to pack every thing into the hiking bag. Despite being prepared it was still scary to walk out into the world alone. She wasn't even sure what she was going to do. She didn't like violence so battling the league wasn't an option and she had never really been fond of the glittery appeal of contests. She knew that she would have to train any pokemon she caught as a matter of safety. Wild pokemon and rogue trainers were around and Mrs. Packard had said 'the fool who wasn't prepared to protect themselves was the fool who deserved what they got".

Stuffing her last few items in her bag Fara looked around the tiny room she had stayed in for the last six years. While well maintained it was plain with just the bed, dresser, and desk. The old cork board above the desk had been cleaned off. Just two days ago it had held a multitude of lists and advice she had received from, books, former trainers, and even the local Nurse Jenny. Any old clothes had been recycled into the home to the other children and she had even given old toys and knick knacks to them as well. It was sad leaving behind the only home she had known. She had cried more than a few times as she was clearing things out. While she had never had the traditional family she had had Mrs. Packard the house supervisor, Dennis the councilor, and the rest of the kids. It was only a small group home; there were only seven children, well six now. Fara had even been fortunate enough to have her own room. There was a genuine warmth and sense of love and she had always had support but it was time to leave.

She had made a decision a long time ago that she would go on a journey. Call her odd but she didn't want to go the same route as the other kids in the Home. She wanted to travel and find her place in life. Not stay and wait until she finished school when she was eighteen. The kids that did that never really were able to travel on a journey anyways. More often then not they went to a trade school and started families of their own. Refocusing once again Fara made sure everything was cleared out.

A soft knocked sounded at her door and Mrs. Packard poked her head through the doorway. Her face was lined with soft wrinkles and her grey eyes were the same color as her upturned hair. She was a tall and plump figure and always smelled like the cinnamon buns she liked to make for the kids. "Fara, are you ready? It's about time you came down for breakfast." "Yes,' Fara said. "I'll be down in just a minute; I wanted to make sure that I had everything ready."

"Ok hun, but hurry. I refuse to send you off on an empty stomach and you need to leave soon so you can make it to Pallet Town before nightfall. You don't have a pokemon yet and I don't want you wandering around at night without protection."

Fara smiled at the worried tone, despite the lack of relation, Mrs. Packard had always been a mother to all the children at the home. She was always protective of them and Fara's decision for a journey made her decidedly nervous. She didn't like the idea of Fara leaving at such a young age. But, despite that, she had been Fara's most avid supporter; helping her find the small jobs to fuel her journey's fund and pointing her into the direction of useful information guides, be they book or people.

Mrs. Packard left and Fara gave a last minute look around the room then went down the hallways to the smell of eggs and bacon. Entering the large white kitchen she made her way to the heavy oak dining table. Capable of holding up to twelve people at a time it was already piled with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and an assortment of breakfast goods including, to her delight, cinnamon buns. She made a beeline for the plate carrying them, making sure to get three, before piling her plate with other breakfast goods. Taking a seat she began to eat quickly.

The clock above the door told her that Mrs. Packard was right and it was almost 6 o'clock. She had planned to be out by then so she could take her time to get to Pallet. She hadn't hiked much with her bag's full weight of gear and she knew she was going to need to take a few breaks. Any delusion to being able to carry weight large distances without effort had been disabused by carrying Mr. Davis bird seed bags around the aviary. Eating a little more quickly Fara finished within fifteen minutes giving her, according to the clock, five minutes until six am. Again her nerves began to assault her, making her just the slightest bit jittery.

A gentle hand started to stroke her head, making her jump. Looking up she realized it was Mrs. Packard. "Are you nervous honey?" Fara began to say no but a look into Mrs. Packard's eyes stopped her. "Yeah, I guess. I don't really know why though. I have everything I could need according to you and Nurse Joy. Even Mr. Davis said I work well with his pokemon and that I should do well with the Pidgey he's letting me get."

Mrs. Packard stopped stroking her head and took a seat next her. "Fara, you are starting a brand new phase in your life. You are leaving everything you have known for something that's uncertain. I'd be surprised and worried if you weren't nervous. But I want you to know that you will be alright." Smiling Mrs. Packard reached to take Fara's hand into her own. "You have prepared for this journey very well. Unlike the rest of the kid's at your trainer's school you took the time learn about the life outside of pokemon training. How many ten year olds out there know how to prepare for severe weather conditions, forage, or treat their own injuries? You are ready sweetie."

Fara swallowed at the lump in her throat. It touched her how much faith Mrs. Packard had in her. She sometimes forgot how much her mother figure believed in her. She was a loner and didn't have too many special people in her life. So having someone like Mrs. Packard speak to her this way always made her emotional. Instead of speaking she just nodded her head and wrapped Mrs. Packard in a hug. She was going to miss this woman more than anyone else.

"Fara, it's time to go honey." Leaning away from the embrace Fara rubbed her eyes then got to her feet. The clock read five past six. Mrs. Packard got up as well and moved to the refrigerator. She returned to Fara with a medium plastic case and handed it to her. "I made you a lunch, I know you have provisions but I thought you'd like a homemade lunch.'

Smiling took the container from her and put in the hiking bag beside the kitchen entrance. Standing back up she looked out the window to the horizon. The sun was just peaking over the edge of it. Picking up her bag she placed it on her shoulders and then secured the waist clasp. Mrs. Packard walked to her and then they both started down the hallway for the front entrance. After walking outside Fara turned to face Mrs. Packard and was promptly smothered into another soft hug. She was given a kiss on the head before being released. Mrs. Packard was smiling but her eyes were suspiciously wet. "I want you to promise to take care of yourself Fara. Promise me you will call if you ever need anything." A confident "I promise Mrs. Packard, Goodbye" was the reply.

Taking a small step back Fara then turned toward the street and began to make her way down towards the Viridian City limits. Though she had smiled for Mrs. Packard her stomach was in knots. Taking a deep breath she looked at the horizon. "Ready or not journey here I come." Smiling she hurried forward.

 _A/N: Hello readers. I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is CGFlare and this is my first fan fiction story. As you probably could tell this is a classic OC story about a girl going on a journey. This is probably going to be a long story because like Fara, this is a journey to me. I am exploring the world with her and though I have many ideas of what her future will be like only time will tell what happens. I hope that you do enjoy the story as it evolves and forgive me for any grammar errors. I don't have a Beta currently and will be editing myself._

 _I also would like you to know a few things. I will not promise on regularly scheduled updates. I will do my best to make them frequent but my lack of practice with writing will probably cause some delay. Second I do want you to know that I will not respond to flames at all. I will just delete those so please avoid wasting my time and yours if that is what you want to do. I will take constructive criticism though so if you have ideas or see something I missed please let me know._

 _Anyways thank you!_

 _CGFlare_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Two: Zakurzonej Drodze

Huffing as she struggled up the dusty road, Fara cursed the midday sun. While it was only the middle of spring, the temperatures were well into the upper 80's. With the heat and heavy gear, she was well beyond ready for a break. However, that was easier said then done. She needed to get to the midway point before taking a break.

She was on a time limit and she didn't want to run the risk of being late to Professor Oak's lab. The Professor was an extremely busy and while he seemed to be a nice person Fara didn't want to set a bad impression by being late. So stopping more than once was probably a bad idea. Plus the sooner she got to Oak's the sooner she could get her spunky little Pidgey.

Shifting the weight of gear Fara kept walking the path while keeping a sharp eye out for the grove Nurse Joy said signaled the mid way point. Unlike other groves there was supposed to be a picnic table and faucet connected to an underground well. It was perfect spot to stop and refill her dwindling water supplies and relax her aching muscles.

While keeping watch for the grove Fara admired the peaceful scenery. Spring in the Kanto region was abundantly green and she could see a multitude of wildflowers everywhere. She had only seen a couple of pokemon so far though. Mostly Butterfree and Beedrill, that flew around the flowers. A couple of Pidgey had caught her eye, sitting in a trees shade, roosting to escape the heat. Other than that she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Fifteen minutes of walking later found Fara cresting a hill and spotting her stopping point. It was a large clearing situated under a large maple tree with a metal picnic table. As she walked down the hill Fara could see a water pump on the other side of the clearing. The clearing was grass filled with an occasional bunch of flowers but empty otherwise. She sighed a little at that, some people to talk to would be nice. Her walk from Viridian had been almost too quiet. With the exception of a couple old farm vehicles passing through she hadn't seen any people.

It was the wrong time of year to see to many people traveling the Route. Most children's pokemon journey's usually started in September after the end of the Indigo League tournament. Fara had only started so early in the year because she had turned ten in January and wasn't getting one of the traditional starters most children received. Those pokemon usually hatched in the late spring time and were raised carefully so they would reach an appropriate level to protect their future trainers.

Seeing as she wasn't getting one of those pokemon, Fara had prepared to start her Journey early. Her pokemon would be ready despite it only being four weeks old. Those from the Pidgey line tended to develop faster then the original Kanto starters. A feature common in pokemon species easily preyed upon in their early months. It was a fact that Fara was happy to take advantage of. A pokemon that developed quicker would be easier to train to an appropriate protection level and evolve that much quicker. She was really looking forward to her Pidgey eventually becoming a Pidgeot. It would help tremendously with traveling if she could just fly.

At the end of that train of thought, Fara found herself at Routes One's midway rest stop. Unbuckling her gear, Fara dropped it on the picnic table before taking the time to stretch her aching muscles. After stretching she took off her dark brown hiking vest and rolled up her tan sleeves. Removing her lunch and water from the dark grey bag Fara began to eat Mrs. Packard's delicious lunch of rice, pickled veggies, and some chicken. Starving, Fara was quick to devour her meal and remaining water.

Thirty minutes late she was in the process of looking at her Kanto map and listening to the weather report on her small radio. Although she had looked at the weather report last evening Fara was trying to get in the habit of checking every time she had a long break. Adrian, an experienced trainer she had met a month ago, had warned her that late spring and early summer meant monsoon season. He had said the weather was unpredictable that time of year and could change in a few hours. Checking the reports as often as she could would help keep her prepared to take shelter. So far the weatherman had said that there was no sign of rain the area she was traveling.

Smiling she turned it off and continued perusing the map. She was trying to decide what she wanted to do. Being a trainer meant that it was her responsibility to get a disposable income for herself. Most trainers went the League or Contest route. By winning gyms or contests they were able to accumulate a moderate sum of cash outside of Pokemon battles to supplement their Journey's. Pokemon battles had very little profit for beginning trainers. You might get lucky with five or ten poke dollars until you had at least three pokemon who were moderately powerful, often having evolved at least once. After that the price of winning and losing went up.

The problem about this, for Fara, was she couldn't afford to lose any of her money. Her limited funds meant she had to find an alternate form of income. The only idea she could come up with was berry sales. Mr. Davies, the Aviary owner, regularly bought berries at Viridian's poke mart and she had found out that all poke marts were willing to buy berries off authorized trainers as long as they were in good condition. Typically, berries could sell from five to 30 poke dollars a piece, sometimes even 50, depending on type, rarity, and quality.

It seemed to be a good start with minimal risk to Fara. There were just rules that she had to follow according to International law. Berry season was strictly regulated in order to protect people, pokemon, and tree population. Taking too many Berries could upset the natural balance in creation of future trees. Pokemon in the wild were highly dependent on these trees for not only their livelihood but that of their offspring as well. Many species collected and stored berries for the harder months and others depended on certain vitamins for their own natural development. Taking too much could and had killed many wild pokemon.

This necessity also created territorial behaviors in many species. If a person was not careful enough they could enrage an entire group of pokemon in attacking. It was because of past incidents of trainer and pokemon population death that the regions had created regulations for Berry picking. The code varied between regions but Fara had made sure to memorize Kanto's.

1\. You had to have a permit to pick and sell berries.

2\. Picking, for more then survival purposes, was only allowed between April 15th and June 30th of each year.

3\. A person was only allowed to pick five or less berries per a tree with the exception of rare varieties. Rare varieties, meaning there were only three or less trees per 5 square mile, within a 100 square mile area, could only have one per tree.

4\. Sale of berries was limited to poke marts and berry farms.

5\. Every berry picked required documentation written and photographic to verify vicinity of the berry trees.

These basic regulations insured many things. First limited permits and limited picking per a person prevented population decimation in trees and pokemon. The limited selling places also prevented the sale of potentially contaminated or poisonous fruit. While rare there had been instances of berries being contaminated and sold by third parties; resulting in pokemon and human illness and even death. Licensed buyers, poke marts and berry farms, prevented the sale of these items. Finally documentation had multiple purposes.

First it regulated unauthorized berry picking by giving the league evidence of where you picked the berries. They used this documentation to keep track of tree population, wild pokemon development, and environmental stability. They also used this information to help set up Ranger patrol routes. Rare trees usually attracted rare pokemon and this in turn attracted pokemon poachers. It also allowed Rangers to be in the vicinity if emergencies came up.

Any failure to follows the regulations could result in fines, permanent loss of pokemon and pokemon licenses, and jail time. Overall berry picking was very simple as long as you followed the rules.

Fara was currently trying to find the first place to pick. It was April 3rd, meaning she had to wait twelve days before she could start so she thought it best to head somewhere where there were some more profitable berries. She already had a permit that she had been approved for last month. It just wasn't effective until the 15th. This gave her 12 days to get her pokemon license, pokemon, and hike to a good location.

Given the time it was taking her to adjust to traveling so far she thought that she should probably stick to the Viridian Forest area because A: it was relatively close and B: she was semi-familiar with the area. It was a vast area that held a large quantity of bug pokemon. They were essential for the pollination of the forest many plant species and, if a person was patient enough to search the area, there were a good variety of berry trees to pick from. With the exception of bug trainers, most people took the shortest path through the forest on their way to Pewter city.

It also held promise on saving Fara money on supplies and supplementing her training. Her little Pidgey would be able to hunt bug types which not only save her money but contribute to his development. Avian pokemon like Pidgey were first and foremost predators. They needed special nutrients to promote their health a higher level then what store bought pokemon food would give. Hence why hunting and eating certain wild pokemon was necessary. Hunting would also help settle Pidgey's predatory instincts until Fara progressed in his training.

Viridian forest's pokemon also tended to match beginner trainers which would help in getting Pidgey trained to a higher skill level. Weaker pokemon also meant less serious injuries. That would allow her to start harnessing the field first aid skills Fara was taught at the trainer school. Being able to stabilize and/or heal a pokemon's injuries was an essential skill necessary to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and death. Plus she had always been interested in learning to live off the land. It seemed really cool. Smiling, she started to pack her bag. She wanted to get back on the road.

Another five hours of hot travel and Fara finally reached the edge of Pallet town. There was still about an hour of light left in the sky and, though exhausted, she felt extremely accomplished she had reached her destination with time to spare. Pallet town wasn't as small as she had imagined.

There seemed to be numerous farming fields as far as the eye could see. There were homes and farm houses dotted around the expanse connected by small roads networked throughout the valley. In the distance, crested on a hill, was a large building with an enormous windmill. It was lazily turning, glistening in the fading sunlight. Fara held back a squeal; it was Professor Oak's famous research lab.

Starting down a path, Fara carefully plodded down the dirt road. Oak's lab was only a mile and a half down the main stretch and it seemed to take very little time to reach it. As she got closer she could see a gate situated before the stone path that led to the lab. It was opened slightly and as she got closer she saw a large ball of orange, cream and black fur in the grass close to it. She stopped at the sight in awe. It was an Arcanine, the rare pseudo legendary revered throughout the Kanto Region.

While Growlith were commonly seen Arcanine were far less common. The fire stone necessary for Growlithe's evolution was hard to come by due to its necessity for multiple fire pokemon type's evolution and the difficulty in locating the stone. She had once herd that a fire stone could sell for as much as $10, 000 poke dollars or more depending on how many were in market.

Finding the elusive stone in the wild was said to be almost impossible due to lack of safe locations open to the public. Fire stones were generally found in the vicinity of hibernating or active volcanoes. They were also found near the extinct variety but several prominent clans had bought those few available territories in Kanto generations ago. They were usually the ones that sold the precious stones to the market and held the monopoly.

The stones found near active and hibernating volcanoes were extremely dangerous to search for. They tended to be located in lava tubes underground. Trainers who went searching in these tunnels could die due to volcanic gases and unexpected lava flows. This meant these areas were highly restricted to government and licensed personnel only. It was usually dumb luck when a trainer found one of these stones outside these areas. Fara's teacher at school had even said a person had a greater chance of winning the lottery than finding a random fire stone.

It wasn't only even the fire stone that was rare either. Evolution stones were a specialized quartz material that was said to be imbued with special elemental energies due to constant exposure. Fires stones came from volcanic regions, water stones could be found in ancient fresh water tributaries, and thunder stones in areas with powerful electric storms. The transition between quartz and evolutionary stone could take hundreds of years hence their rarity and thus the rarity of pokemon like Arcanine.

It was thus understandable for Fara to be stunned by the magnificent pokemon in front of her. To be fair, not all of her awe came from what this pokemon was but by what Pokemon League history had said what it had done. This Arcanine was one of Oak's original six, the six that had led him to become a Kanto Pokemon Champion. In fact, it was said that Oak's Arcanine had remained undefeated for fifteen years. A record that had not been matched since Oak's retirement; though they said the current Champion, Lance, was approaching the record with his Dragonite.

Shaking herself from the awed-induced stupor, Fara cleared her throat as she hesitantly approached the gate. At the sound, the large pokemon was on his feet and staring at her instantly. She stopped, swallowed, and took another deep breathe. Awe was turning into fear very quickly. Arcanine had looked large sitting down but standing he towered over Fara by at least two feet. With his muscular bulk and penetrating stare he froze her in her place. In what seemed forever but was probably just moments Fara and Arcanine stared at each other. Then, suddenly, the sound of another throat clearing made Fara jump. Looking past the Arcanine she saw an older gentleman, with grey hair and dark eyes. Wearing a large white lab coat, casual clothing, and a smile was the famous Professor Samuel Oak.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 3: Zegnaj

The first word that popped into Sam Oak's mind as he gazed at the young girl in front of him was tiny. Persistent cinnamon curls escaped from under a green bandanna, tickling the corners of the child's grey eyes. A button nose, full mouth, and heart shaped face was set with exhaustion. Her small form was covered with tan and gray hiking clothes and held a too large, charcoal hiking bag. Fara Knight seemed too small for the adventure she was about to embark on. Frankly, he would be surprised if the girl weighed more than 60lbs.

However, his keen gaze caught the details others would miss. There was a slight defiant tilt of her chin as she matched his gaze squarely. It was also telling in how her body stood tall despite the obvious exhaustion and heavy load she carried. This child had grit, a trait he found lacking in many other new trainers. It was, as far as he was concerned, one of the most important aspects a trainer could have. Skill could be gained; knowledge could be learned but grit; that was something he felt was a talent someone had to be born with. It was something essential in succeeding as a Pokemon Trainer. These children were trying to train beasts with the ability to kill them in a heart beat. You needed true stubbornness to be able to stand in the face of this reality and push forward to progress. His smile grew larger, Fara Knight would do and he was curious to see how far she would go.

Fara was starting to feel like she would keel over any minute. Traveling just under twenty miles in twelve hours had taken more out of her then she had thought it would. Now she was standing under the gaze of both a gargantuan Arcanine and his master; one of the most celebrated Pokemon Researchers in the world. It was just a little too much pressure for her exhausted state but she stood steady. Mr. Davis had taught her to never slouch in face of adversity; be it person, pokemon, or situation. So, despite the bedraggled state, she was in she stared straight back into the eyes of the professor while trying to ignore the large canine just in front of him. A small snort escaped the Professor as his smile grew larger.

"Well you have pluck, that's for sure." Blinking, Fara stared at Oak in slight confusion. Another snort left the Professor before he walked in front of his pokemon, his hand held out in greeting. "Welcome to Pallet Town Fara. I wasn't expecting you until later or tomorrow." She took the Professor's hand into hers. "Why not, I thought Mrs. Packard told you what time I would be here."

"She did but it's rare that new trainers such as your self can make the journey from Viridian to here in such a short time." He gestured for her to walk towards the lab while continuing the conversation. "It usually takes them time to build the stamina to go long distances in short spaces of time. I'm curious; do you have experience with traveling?"

Fara gave the Professor a sideways gaze as she forced herself up the stairs. "No, not really, I usually spend my time helping out Mr. Davis at the aviary in Viridian. I help out with feeding his pokemon. There is a lot of heavy lifting involved and he made me work a little harder when I asked him too. I wanted to get stronger when I had trouble with my gear during some test trials of carrying it." Oak hummed softly as they reached the door and entered a security code in the side panel. The door opened and Fara felt a blast of cool air hit her. Smiling at the pleasant sensation she walked in behind the Professor and took in her surroundings.

"When you said Davis did you mean John Davis of the Viridian Avian Breeding Center?" Oak asked. She tore her gaze away from the homey looking entrance hall. "Yes, do you know him" she asked. The question drew a chuckle from the man. "Do I know John?" he asked with a tone of amusement. "John Davis was one of the first people I gave a training license to after I earned my graduate degree. If I remember correctly he made it to the top 8 in the Indigo League before he got into pokemon breeding. He did that well too. John became the authority in avian pokemon and spearheaded the pokemon mailing system." Oak focused on her face and smiled. "I can understand how you made it out here so quickly now. John is a hard task master to those who work with him. I'm sure he pushed you as much as he could."

Fara tried not to grimace at the memories that statement brought up. Hard task master was an understatement; Mr. Davis had pushed her to the edge of exhaustion on more the one occasion from the work load. In addition, he was a perfectionist to the extreme. Fara had been forced to redo tasks repeatedly until he felt that she had done the job right. In fact, she sort of blamed Mr. Davis for her current list obsession. Her memory wasn't poor but under the keen gaze of a person as meticulous as John Davis she had needed to write down everything until she could remember how to do the tasks properly. She shuddered; Fara still remembered the time she had mixed up the feed of the Altaria and Fearow. Between the fight that Mr. Davis had to stop, the mess she was forced to clean up, and the two hour lecture she endured due to her careless mistake, Fara had made sure she didn't make such a mistake ever again.

Looking back at the Professor she realized they had reached another security door. He entered another code and the door opened to reveal a lab. The sterile walls and machinery along the walls made it obvious. Following the Professor in, Fara stopped when he gestured her to. "Fara, you can go ahead and leave your gear by the door. We need to go over some things before I give you the license. After that we'll take your bag to your room so you can freshen up for dinner. Doing as the Professor told her she placed the bag against the wall then followed the Professor to a room connected to a lab. It was a homey looking office filled to the brim with paperwork. The Professor took a seat in the chair behind the desk. Fara followed suit in the chair in front at Oak's silent gesture.

"Now, from what I understood you finished your pokemon license examination at Viridian's pokemon school, correct?" Oak asked. At her nod he turned on a high tech laptop on his desk and began typing. A few moments later he seemed to find what he was looking for and turned his attention back to her. "According to the school report you scored in the 90th percentile in all areas except the battling seminars. You barely passed that class and test. Can you tell me why?" He questioned. Fara swallowed at the question. It was a sensitive subject for her. "I don't really like battling. When I was little I accidentally got caught in the crossfire of a battle. I got burned pretty badly from a Chimchar's ember attack and had to stay in the hospital for four weeks. I get nervous when a battle is going on. It took me a long time to just watch a battle on TV let alone start participating in one. The Counselor at the Home, Dennis, spent a lot of time getting me comfortable enough to try it so by the time I could it was examination time. I hadn't really got the hang of it by that point." Fara focused her gaze on her lap at the confession. She had been so ashamed of herself through school because of it. All the other kids had loved the battle class while she hadn't. It had made her an outcast to a certain degree.

"Fara, look at me." Oak stated in a firm tone. Looking back up at him Fara noticed his gaze had softened despite the tone of his voice. "You do realize you have nothing to be ashamed of right?" he asked. At her hesitant nod he continued. "You had a bad experience Fara, one that would normally prevent someone from even wanting to be involved with pokemon let alone becoming a trainer. You have overcome something traumatic. I can personally say that it takes a great deal of courage and I applaud you for it. The only reason I ask is because battling is essential for pokemon trainers. Your future pokemon will need it for their physical development and you will need them to be able to protect you. We don't live in a perfect world and I have had the unfortunate experience to watch as children and adults alike die because their pokemon couldn't protect them." Oak said. His gaze seemed to turn inwards a hint of what seemed like grief shone in his eyes.

"I promised myself a long time ago to try and make sure all trainers that come to me are as prepared as they can be. So I want you to understand that I am going to give you some guidelines to follow in order to keep your license. If, at any time, you fail to follow the rules I will suspend your license and inform the League. Your Guardian will be informed and you will be placed to the appropriate home until you can prove yourself capable of starting training again." Oak paused and looked back at her. His gaze was firm and his tone broke no argument. "Some of these guidelines are the normal regulations that all trainers have to follow, of which you already know. The rest are personal ones I will be placing on you for safety's sake. I have written the personal ones down for your use." He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her. After taking it from him she looked down and began to read.

-Trainer will be responsible for submitting weekly reports to Professor Oak detailing location, trainers physical condition (verified monthly checks must be performed by local Pokemon Center), pokemon's physical condition(s) (also verified monthly by Pokemon Center), and career focus.

-Trainer must participate in pokemon battles twice monthly and submit report detailing experiences to Professor Oak.

-Trainer must call and speak with professor bi-monthly at pre-scheduled time.

-Trainer must report emergency situations and any issue with trainer fund shortage. Please note a shortage constitutes less than 1000 pokemon dollars in savings.

-Trainer must report any issues with Pokedex immediately.

All in all the rules were pretty basic but she had some questions. Looking up to Oak she started questioning him. "How do you want reports submitted?" she asked. "There are multiple functions available with the Pokedex I will be giving you. Among them will be an app for writing reports or any other documentation required. The Pokedex also has Wi-Fi capabilities that will allow you to email them to me directly. I have already preprogrammed the device with my number and email as well as all general emergency numbers." Oak stated. Nodding Fara continued. "Why do you want me to have monthly physicals at the Pokemon Center's" "I am requiring them for you and your pokemon to both keep a eye on you but also to measure your progress. Eventually, I want to be able to release you from these additional rules. To do so I want you to prove you are maturing both physically and mentally. Doing these activities will allow me to do so."

Thinking over what Oak said made sense to Fara. She also understood the battling he required was probably to help keep her skills sharp. Battling people was different from pokemon and sometimes trainers came across other people like poachers and thieves. It was necessary to protect ones self. However, understanding did not make the prospect enjoyable. She hated battling. Hearing the Professor cough she turned her attention back to him.

"I want you to know I have you scheduled to speak to me every two month's on the fifth day of the month between 2-3pm. Your first day will be next month on May 5th." Seeing her silent affirmation the professor continued. "I want to be clear that you need to be honest with me. If you have a problem and don't report it I will be harder on you than if you did. Every journey has its issues and by communicating with me we will be able to mitigate most of them. Breaking the rules will result in consequences from being grounded to a local Pokemon Center to having your license revoked. Are we clear?" he asked.

"Yes sir." Fara replied. Nodding at her Oak then turned his attention back to computer screen. "Besides your battling class you seem to have done a wonderful job. I am particularly impressed that you signed up for the survival courses. That should help you with your journey. Altogether it looks like you are ready to go." Smiling Oak stood up. "Follow me and we will see about finishing the registration paperwork and getting you your license."

What followed was twenty minutes of paperwork and a photo to add to the Pokedex ID function. It was easy but Fara was tired and quite happy to finish it off. The Professor told her the only thing she would need to do was take her Pidgey to Viridian's Pokemon Center and have the nurse register him to her. Fara was also told that she would be responsible for having her ID inscribed into the bar codes of all pokeballs she bought or received. It was a function she had been unaware of due to it being a new regulation by the League to prevent theft and proof of ownership. Apparently all poke shops and Pokemon Centers had a machine designed for the inscription purpose. Later after a quiet meal Fara was taken to a guest room and went to bed. Exhaustion claimed her quickly and she fell asleep.

Two days later Fara was just reaching Viridian City. It was still early and the weather was clear and pleasant. She was currently in an old Jeep being driven by one of Oak's research assistants, Emily. A storm from the day before had prevented Fara from traveling to Viridian City and Emily, who was going on a supply run, had offered to drive her back today. Thankful for the opportunity to rest her still sore muscles, Fara had accepted without hesitation. It had been a pleasant ride filled with informative chatter from the still teenage Emily. However, now that were almost in the city Fara was too excited to pay much attention to the conversation.

After passing the city limits Emily drove to the Pokemon Center on Main Street. When they stopped Fara said her goodbyes and after a quick hug from the personable Assistant headed down the street towards the aviary. It was located a mile from Main Street on Coral Avenue. Mr. Davis' Avian Breeding Center sat on 20 pristine acres of forest and fields. The main house in front was a modest two bedroom cottage. There was a large protective structure further back near the forest designed with a series of box like areas for the avian pokemon. An old barn that housed equipment and food also stood close by. Fara couldn't help but grin. While the Home had been her first home, the aviary had been her second.

Almost skipping to the main residence Fara impatiently rang the door bell several times. After a minute of no answer she repeated the process. Shortly after, John Davis answered the door. Standing at 6'1" he was almost two feet taller then Fara's 4'5". He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes and was in his late twenties. Smiling at him Fara pounced and hugged him. "Fara, what the heck do you think your doing?" He asked with a scowl. Giggling Fara released him. "Hello Mr. Davis! Where's Pidgey?" she asked.

Instead of responding to her question he gestured her to come in. "Fara, I have told you time and time again to just call me John. When are you going stop with this Mr. Davis crap?" he asked. "I'll stop when you stop scowling." she said. His frown deepening John huffed and started towards the kitchen area. Fara followed quickly, knowing how impatient the man got if someone didn't follow his silent commands. Fara had known John since she was four. In fact he had been the man to help stop the battle that had injured her and had taken her to the local hospital. Despite his stern exterior, Fara still remembered how gentle he had been to her when the accident had happened. John had even brought some of the new baby bird pokemon to visit when she had been healing.

Two years after the event he had let her start working for him doing odd chores. In a way, he was Fara's hero. Strong but gentle he had help her work through a lot of her difficulties with Pokemon and proven himself a fountain of knowledge in her Journey prep. That was why she felt comfortable enough to tease him despite his scary exterior. Shaking her thoughts she turned her attention to the perch situated near the window of the kitchen. On top of it sat a tiny cream and brown bird. Squealing she ran forward only to be stopped by a hand holding the back of her bag. "What do you think you're doing girl?" John asked. Turning towards him she replied. "Saying hi to Pidgey, I missed him." Snorting John gave the give me gesture. "Hand it over, no touching the Pidgey until I see the license." Fara grumbled but reached into the pocket of her vest and pulled out a light grey Pokedex. Flipping it open John pressed a button and scrolled the license information. After looking it through he handed it back to her.

However, the moment he did a small form flew in his face and John received a sharp peck in the nose courtesy of Fara's future partner. "Damn it, what the heck was that for?" shouted John. He was holding one hand to his face and shook the other at the Pidgey, which now sat on Fara's shoulder, and was preening. Fara could hardly control the laugh that threatened to escape. Her little Pidgey was the only bird pokemon John couldn't handle. A fact that burned his ego each time he tried and failed to reason with the little bird.

The fact that he liked Fara, a girl that wasn't even an experienced trainer, irked him more than anything else. Raising her hand Fara started stroking the little one's back and grinned smugly at John. "That's what you get for keeping us apart. I tried to greet Pidgey first but you stopped me." Scowl deepening John started to speak. "You and that little demon deserve each other. If it's not you needling me it's him biting. In fact, you can take him without paying. I'll even give you his food for free as well. The sooner he's gone, the sooner I can stop being maimed."

Ignoring his dramatic anger Fara lit up and once again shackled the irate Breeder in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed. The little Pidgey was dislodged at the movement and perched himself on the back of a kitchen chair. John swore the little monster was smirking at him. Turning his attention away from the pokemon John gently pried the girl off him. He wasn't big on touch and wanted the girl off him. "Alright, I get it. Your happy, now hands to yourself." He snarled. Fara backed off and once again felt Pidgey's light weight on her shoulder. Happily she watched as the breeder walked over to the kitchen island where a canister sat. Picking it up he brought it back to her and gave her the time to place it in her bag before escorting her outside.

After a few reminders on the amount and time when the Pidgey should be fed John raised his hand to shake Fara's. However, Fara just ignored it and hugged John again. Swallowing slightly John patted her back instead of pushing her away as he had done earlier. This little girl had been a big part of his life the last few years. He usually despised people, preferring his feathered friends, but Fara had brought out a protective instinct he hadn't realized he had. He was going to miss the little brat. Ignoring the wet stain growing on his shirt where her head rested John held her. Shortly after, Fara released John and was on her way towards the Pokemon Center. Pidgey was sitting tightly on her shoulder and she turned around to wave goodbye, Fara shouted. "Bye John!" and went on her way. John watched her go with an almost invisible grin on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 4: Mix Szlaku

Turning away from the terminal in front of her, Fara, started to put away her pokedex and Pidgey's newly registered pokeball. Like Professor Oak had told her, the pokemon registration process was fairly easy. She was even able to setup a short cut up for herself so she only needed to use her login and scan the barcodes of any new pokeballs she bought in the future. Grinning, she finished placing Pidgey's ball on her belts magnetic slot. The bird in question was still resting on her shoulder, keeping up a vigilant guard.

Pidgey wasn't really friendly to anyone with the exception of Fara. It was a trait that had played a large part in her being offered to buy him. Postal pokemon were expected to maintain a civil demeanor whilst working. Pidgey's bad habit of biting and unsocial behavior had made him unsuitable for work. His mother, a beautiful Pidgeot named Rhapsody, was a very powerful but sweet pokemon. Her gentle disposition had been shared by her daughters so it was thought Pidgey had a different father then his siblings. It was a rare but possible truth. Rhapsody had left the Aviary at the beginning of her breeding season but returned a couple of days later. John had been relieved to see her pair up with another Pidgeot upon her return, thinking she hadn't found a wild breeding partner.

The arrival of Fara's Pidgey changed that chain of thought quickly. His short temper, smaller frame, and hooked beak made John and Fara think he had a Fearow for a father. There had been reports for several years of a large Fearow living along Route One and while uncommon the Pidgey and Spearow line had been known to cross occasionally. Pidgey's unflinching loyalty had been another sign of his origins. John had told her that Spearow and Fearow had bad tempers but were loyal to those that had earned their respect. Fara reached up to stroke the back of Pidgey's neck. He was a bit of a brat but she loved him. Pidgey had always been gentle with her and they had spent a lot of time bonding over the last couple of weeks. She even felt she understood his distant behavior to a degree. Her accident and dislike of battling had left Fara to be a bit of an outcast and made her weary of lasting relationships. Like most people she craved companionship but only to a degree.

With few exceptions, her friendships were more like acquaintanceships than the deep everlasting bonds that she read about in adventure novels. It was a status that she preferred anyway. Fara got along better with pokemon; a trait her counselor had told her wasn't uncommon. Dennis told her everyone was different, some liked humans better, others like pokemon, and then some like both or neither. This understanding made knowing Pidgey easier; he, like humans, had his preferences. It was just a matter of training him to be civil with others and understanding his boundaries. Fara wasn't going to push him into becoming something he wasn't. That, she felt, was one of the most important things she could do for him as a trainer. Respect was something everyone deserved.

Fara turned her attention to the end of the hall she walking. The Poke Center's main lobby was situated ahead. In it was a large waiting desk with Marion Joy, the day Nurse, working on a computer. There were only a few other trainers situated around the lobby; some at the private phone booths while others were seated in the large couches in the waiting area. The dimming light outside told Fara it was getting late and she debated on leaving or staying the night. While registration had taken only short amount of time the earlier physicals for herself and Pidgey had taken a couple of hours. Fara had also taken the time to send the certified records of them to the Professor so she had less to worry about. Theoretically, Fara had enough time to make it to the edge of Viridian Forest and set up camp before sundown. However, that is if she could find an appropriate site quickly. Fara was also still aching from his first day's journey to Pallet Town. That meant it would take more time to reach the forest. Settling on the obvious choice, Fara turned towards the Nurse and started to walk to her.

Marion Joy looked up from the computer when Fara reached the desk and smiled. "Hello Fara, how can I help you?" Smiling Fara pointed towards the hallways that lead to the trainer rooms. "I need to rent a room for the night. It's getting a little late for me to be traveling." Nodding at Fara, the Nurse tapped at her keyboard before pulling out a plastic key used for the rooms. "I need to see your Pokedex for the room fee. It will be $45 Poke dollars for the night." Wincing at the price Fara reached into her vest before handing the device over. Even knowing beforehand, she was still stunned at how much non League or Contest contenders had to spend on room fees. She was glad John had saved her money by giving her Pidgey free of charge.

A few moments later the Nurse returned her Pokedevice and gave her the room key. "Your room number is 10, down the pink hall. Please remember that checkout is at 10am, dinner goes from 6-10pm, and breakfast goes from 5-9:30am. If you have any issues dial 0 on the phone and the Nurse on duty will assist you." Nodding in affirmation Fara turned her way towards the mentioned hall. She needed to drop off her gear, eat, do some extra research and go to bed early. She wanted an early start.

The next morning Fara was up before the sun and packing her freshly laundered clothing into her bag. She had taken advantage of the Center's laundry facilities the night before and also had filled both her water containers up. Pidgey was resting on the windows sill, watching the rising sun outside while Fara completed her tasks. He, along with her, had eaten twenty minutes earlier and the digital clock on the dresser showed the time to be close to six. Fara was happy she had gotten up in time. According to her map she had at least six miles of hiking through the forest before she began to reach the wild berry groves. Instead of heading northeast, towards Pewter City, she would be heading west toward the more remote areas of the Forest. The map showed a tributary running through the area and she was determined to find a good camping site for herself. She wanted stay out of the Beedrill nest areas but still remain close to running water for drinking and bathing. The water also was a good area to start looking for the berry trees. Depending on the type of berry large amounts of water was needed. Especially for the sweeter varieties that Viridian Forest promised.

According to her research she had done the night before, Viridian Forest was known for a variety of sweet and sour berries as well as berries that fought status inflictions like Poison and Paralysis. It had fascinated Fara to find out that the types of berry's that helped out status ailments were usually located in areas were the pokemon that caused said status ailments. It was an interesting phenomenon and Fara also felt it would help her start locate the more rare berries in the future once she did more research on Pokemon migrations and habitats. By locating those patterns she felt she would be able to locate the berry trees more quickly in the future.

However, the ability to project and find new berry groves in uncharted area was going to take more than a few hours of research. Fara had discovered that while berry groves could grow quickly they could also die off within a few months and not return to the area for years at a time. Weather patterns, moisture, and even pokemon proximity determined when trees grew and where. Fara was amazed to also learn that there were even scientific studies devoted to berry growth. Licensed berry farms were often used by these Scientists to use new growth methods for berry production. There were many varieties of fruit that couldn't be grown anywhere but the wild and the studies were geared to rectifying that problem.

Turning her attention back to her pokemon Fara beckoned him over. Once she felt his weight on her shoulder she headed out to the main area of the Center. A new Nurse, Ashley Joy according to the name tag, was manning the desk and was quick to help Fara. After her key was returned and the check out process completed, Fara stepped outside into the cool morning air. She started down Main Street towards Route Two. Muscles mostly healed from their fatigue and excitement gave Fara a spring in her step along with a steady pace. The walk towards Viridian Forest was only three miles of flat ground so she was able focus on reading some notes given to her regarding Pidgey's training. Fara was even able to have her little pokemon do some aerial maneuvers as a minor exercise while they trailed down the path.

It was just as she reached the edge of the Forest that Pidgey gave out a warning coo before landing on her shoulder. A shadowy figure stepped out from behind a tree into her path before approaching. Stopping, Fara looked at the stranger in front of her. Wearing a wide straw hat, tan Capri's, and a white T-Shirt she recognized him as one of the infamous Bug Catchers that frequented the Forest. While she didn't know him personally she recognized him as a frequent visitor to the Pokemon Center.

The trainer continued down the path towards her before stopping ten feet away. "My names Andy, are you a pokemon trainer?" Trying not to roll her eyes at the question, while the obvious answer sat on her shoulder, Fara replied. "Yes, I'm Fara from Viridian City. I'm headed in to the Forest for berry picking, Can I help you?"

Grinning, Andy pulled out a Pokeball from his pocket. "Yeah you can, I challenge you to a pokemon battle one to one." Seconds after his challenge a pokemon burst from the ball. The small tan form of a Weedle formed from the red beam. Fara felt a fissure of irritation at the boy's audacity of bringing out a pokemon before hearing any acceptance of the challenge. Fara may not like battling but even she understood there was an etiquette expected. Besides the stating of names and challenging it was expected you wait for an answer before shoving a pokemon into an opponents face. Pidgey seemed to agree with her irritation if the tighter grip on her shoulder was any indication. Although, the familiar gleam in his eye might just mean he was hungry. The way he stared at Weedle seemed to support this theory. Thinking over the pros and cons of battling the boy Fara quickly came to a decision.

Turning her attention back to Andy she glared at him. "I'll accept your challenge on one condition." "What?" Her scowl deepened at the cocky tone. "You never bother challenging me again." Her condition was one he didn't seem to like. Andy looked irritated for a second and with good cause. Bug Catchers were a stubborn lot that would constantly challenge trainers over and over again. Fara had even heard about some of these trainers being arrested for harassment. She did not want to get to the point where she involved any Officer Jenny. However, with the condition in place and recorded by her Poke Device like all battles were, she would be able to inform Jenny and have Andy dealt with quickly if he bothered again.

"Alright, deal. If you lose I get to challenge you as much as I want." Wincing at the thought of his annoying, continued presence Fara eyed Pidgey. He did have an advantage in this battle and Professor Oak did want two battles from her before the first of May. "Fine, I accept the terms. My pokemon will be Pidgey." Looking at the bird she gestured towards the area in front of her. He took off and landed on the path. "Just watch girl I'm going to win. Your Pidgey's too small to win." Andy laughed while Fara focused on her Poke Device. Pidgey was able to use Gust, Peck, and Double Team. She couldn't tell what attacks Weedle used but she knew from school that the Pokemon was capable of attacks like Poison Sting, String Shot and Quick Attack. "Alright Pidgey, get in the air and keep your distance. Stay away from Weedle's horn too." Her little bird got in the air quickly and enlarged the gap between himself and the little bug pokemon.

Andy turned his attention to his pokemon. "Weedle use string shot and knocked Pidgey from the air." "Dodge Pidgey" The little bird followed Fara's command barely in time. A long sticky string shot the air he had been in seconds before. "Now use gust Pidgey!" Flapping his wings hard a small wall of air tossed dust and small debris between him and Weedle before it hit the bug. A small squeal left the bug before he flew up and hit a nearby tree before falling to the ground. It didn't get up. Cursing the Bug Catcher ran up to his pokemon. "Weedle are you ok?" Receiving no response the trainer growled and returned the Pokemon before snarling at Fara. "You and your stupid Pidgey won. You hurt Weedle, I hope you're happy." He then started to run towards Viridian without even saying goodbye.

Blinking in surprise from the quick win and sore looser attitude, Fara didn't get a chance to respond before he was out of ear shot. "Well Pidgey, I heard the Bug Catchers were easy to beat but that was ridiculous." The small pokemon landed on her shoulder and cooed. It was obvious he was proud of his win in the way he started to preen. "You did good buddy, let's hope all our battles are as easy." Smiling brightly at the easy win Fara started back towards the forest. "Alright, I want you sharp in here bud. There are Beedrill nests are every where so I need some warning before we get close to them. They'll leave us alone if we keep our distance. We need to follow the path for about a mile before we go west so keep close." Cooing sharply, the little bird flared his wings before taking off into the air. He started to soar above the lush tree tops, disappearing from Fara's view.

Starting forward Fara took in her surroundings. The thick jungle like vegetation kept most light out, except a few beams that came through, leaving the forest an edgy dark feeling. She noticed the soil was darker and littered with decaying leaves and debris. At school she had been taught that the rich soil and vegetation provided the perfect nursery system for the local bug pokemon. Those of the Beedrill and Butterfree lines were most prevalent but other varieties could be found as well. Some of those pokemon included the elusive Pinsir and Scyther as well some non Kanto natives that migrated. In addition to the bug types there was a large population of avian pokemon, primarily Spearow and Pidgey, who fed on the bug pokemon. Other mammalian species were present as well.

As she continued towards her turning point Fara was able to catch glimpses of some Caterpee and a Rattata. Fortunately she hadn't spotted any Beedrill. Pidgey occasionally swooped low to check on her as she continued on. After a half hour they were able to reach the area Fara wanted to turn at. Fara whistled to Pidgey and he reappeared quickly before taking up his usual place. The area Fara was turning at should lead her directly to the tributary. The only problem was the next six miles would be unmarked and much harder to navigate over. The twisting root system and debris made traveling treacherous.

Fara was going to need to walk slowly and consult the GPS system continuously to prevent getting lost. Pidgey would also need to stay close. Pokemon usually stayed out of the main paths way so the likelihood of her meeting up with them on this unmarked area was highly likely. Taking another minute to drink some water Fara twisted the cap on before heading out. The area was dark much like the rest of the forest so she kept her pace slow. She stepped around trees and rotting vegetation. Unlike the main path the ground was uneven and she was forced to travels down and up small valley like areas twice. Three hours into the hike she was forced to stop and take a break. Her legs and shoulders were screaming in protest to the hike and the gear she carried.

Pulling out some supplies she fed Pidgey and herself. When they were finished Fara took out her map and marked her progress once she consulted her GPS program. According to it she was close to the halfway point. She frowned and began to stroke Pidgey; her pace was slower than she needed it to be. It was close to noon and besides getting to the river Fara still needed to scout for a good site and set up the camp. Puzzling over the possibilities of shaving time she was startled when Pidgey puffed up and shot out of her lap. Looking up she spotted what had startled her Pokemon. Small and golden with apple red cheeks the Pikachu in front of Fara was in a defensive position and growling. Keeping still Fara spoke to her pokemon quietly. "Pidgey, back off slowly. Let me handle this." Her pokemon cooed angrily and shook his head in the negative. The Pikachu started to spark ominously. "Pidgey back off now and sit in a tree." Though still quiet, Fara's tone broke no argument, and reluctantly her friend sat in a distant tree.

Focusing her attention completely on the defensive Pokemon before her Fara took her time in examining it. It was still small for a Pikachu so she was sure that it had probably just evolved. Its tail wasn't the sharp lightning bolt that males had, instead it was curved with an almost heart shaped top with black on the tip marking it as female. Close to the ground where the female sat was some small nuts and Fara abruptly realized why the small Pikachu had approached her. Some of her trail mix had fallen to the ground and had attracted the Pokemon. Smiling gently, Fara began to speak in a non threatening tone. "Hi there, are you hungry." Moving slowly she reached for her pocket where some the left over trail mix was. She took it out and stifled a giggle at how the Pikachu perked up. "This is what you want little one, isn't it" The Pikachu began to move cautiously towards Fara, stopping occasionally to watch her before continuing. After a few minutes the Pokemon reached Fara's feet and the trainer lowered her hand so the Pokemon could eat the food in it.

Nose twitching the Pikachu sniffed at her hand before taking some with her paws and began to eat. Fara held her position and within a few minutes the Pikachu had eaten the handful given to her. Once done, the Pokemon looked back at the trainer expectantly. "I'm sorry Pikachu but that's all I can give you." Pikachu eyed her another minute before taking off into some underbrush.

Fara wiped her hand off and then looked at Pidgey. The little bird abruptly turned, giving her his back. He was obviously offended and letting her know it. "Alright, I get it. You don't like that I made you stay away. But you know as well as I do that your species is vulnerable to electric pokemon like that. Plus you're still learning and are nowhere near ready to try and fight against a type advantage let alone a pokemon that has evolved on top of it." The little bird puffed in anger so Fara softened her tone. "Look Pidgey, I don't want you to get hurt. I need you at the top of your game so we don't need to fight battles that can be avoided. You're my best buddy and I need you." Pidgey turned his head slightly towards her so she continued. "I know your tough hon. I'm sure your going to be one of the fiercest creatures to fly one day but we need to take it one step at a time. We will get you stronger bit by bit and then one day you can take on all the electric types to your hearts content."

Pidgey seemed to contemplate her words before taking off for her and landing on her shoulder. He squeezed it harder causing his small talons to dig in her shoulder uncomfortably. Suppressing a grimace, Fara reached up and stroked his little crest gently. "We'll get you stronger buddy, it's just going to take a little time." The birds grip loosened so Fara took it as acceptance. "Alright, let's get going. We still have a ways to go and I want to be able to catch us some fish for dinner. How does that sound?" Hearing his delighted coo and feeling the gentle nip on her ear Fara knew she had been forgiven. Turning towards her gear she started to get ready for the next part of her hike.

Three and half hours later Fara began to hear the sounds of Viridian River. The second half of the hike had proven to be more eventful than the first. She had come across another Bug Catcher named Jimmy and had battled him. Fortunately, he had been much more polite than Andy, even after his loss. The battle had been close though. His Caterpee had been quicker with string shot and only a well timed peck had saved Pidgey. After a minor potion Pidgey had been back up and started his vigilant guard once again.

His presence had proven valuable as well. His keen gaze had guided Fara from the close proximity of four different Beedrill nests. Pidgey had also fought off a Rattata that had gotten territorial when Fara had tread to close to his home. He was just as exhausted as Fara was now.

Grateful that the hike was almost over; Fara picked up her pace to get to the water. Within a few minutes she was privy to the crystal waters of the Viridian River. The water was moving at an almost gentle pace and Fara could make out a few pool-like areas near the Rivers edge. A splash gave her the glimpse of a Goldeen tailfin that glimmered from the afternoon light. Breathing a sigh of relief she made her way closer to a boulder located on the rivers edge. Dropping her gear she removed her boots and socks before slipping her feet into the cool water. It had taken longer than anticipated and she was drained but Fara had made it. Turning her attention back to her surroundings Fara tried to get an idea of where to camp.

The surrounding area was much brighter than the rest of the forest due to the rivers presence. With the additional light Fara could see where the river levels rose during the more rainy times of the year. The earthy deposits and lack of vegetation told Fara that, when swollen, the 20 foot wide river extended well over 40 due to the relatively flat terrain. Looking beyond this area Fara saw that there were some small clearings in the distance. Knowing areas like this would be ideal for camping; Fara put on her shoes and started towards the closest one.

It took about an hour but Fara found her camp site. 100 Yards from Viridian River Fara had found a medium sized clearing that didn't have Pokemon living near. As Fara as Pidgey and her could tell, the nearest Beedrill nest was 400 yards to the north and the elevation of the clearing was higher than the river. All vital components that helped Fara make her decision. Putting down her gear she began to go set up the camp.

Getting it ready ended up taking another two hours. Besides setting up the tent, Fara had made a fire pit and dug a latrine for her use a distance away from the main camp. Gathering fire wood and clearing away debris in the clearing had also taken up a lot of time and effort. Frankly, Fara felt exhausted by the time she was done. However, Pidgey had not forgotten about the fish and Fara ended up near the river trying to catch some supper. Using different bait then those used for Pokemon, she was able to catch a large catfish that satisfied both Pidgey and herself. Finally, she was able to go to bed just after sunset. What Fara and Pidgey didn't notice was that close to the clearing, hiding amongst the bushes, a small pokemon was staring intently at the tent she lay within.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 5: Nocny gosc

Fara Knight woke up far from refreshed. Although sleep had come quickly, it had been restless and left her feeling almost ill. Though her stomach was queasy from the lack of solid sleep, Fara forced herself up and out of the tent. Again her muscles felt heavy and sore from all the exercise traveling required. Trying to push back the aches to the back of her mind she put on her shoes, grabbed her toiletries and made her way to the latrine for her morning ablutions.

Twenty minutes later Fara was making her way back from the river. The cool water had woken her up and a light exercise routine had warmed her muscles up enough that she didn't feel like the living dead as she walked. After taking a moment to change and return her toiletries she released Pidgey from his pokeball. Her pokemon began to ruffle his feathers and preen as she turned her attention to relighting the banked camp fire. What she needed now was a good breakfast. Past experience had taught her eating would help the nausea and Fara had a lot of terrain to cover today.

It was currently April 6th which meant Fara had eight days to find and catalog where the berry trees were and what varieties she would be picking. Fara would also need to make and set up a drying rack for all the berries. She planned to be in the forest until the 3rd of May and the berries would need to be dried and stored to prevent rot and for when she left. Drying the berries would also allow Fara carry a greater amount with her at once. She needed to make a decent profit before moving on to a new location.

Leaving her small pot of water to boil Fara went through her supplies and pulled out some dried meat, dried veggies, and seasoning. She felt a sense of accomplishment when preparing the dried goods for breakfast. All of her ingredients had been bought, grown and dried personally by her and had earned her extra credit in the survival courses. Mrs. Livingston, the Survival Program Director, had personally complimented Fara. It had been one of her prouder moments to be told she had all the skills she needed for living off the land.

She pulled the pot off the hotter part of the fire and added the ingredients to it before moving it to the dimmer coals, allowing a slow simmer to start. Leaving the food to cook she pulled out Pidgey's canister of pokemon food and poured a smaller than usual portion out. Her pokemon flew to her quickly once she was done. He glanced at the food than cocked his head in question. Smiling, Fara reached out and stroked his chest gently. "We are going to start your training today Pidgey. Your main goal will be to master hunting." His head cocked in the other direction so Fara continued. "Do you see the food cooking Pidgey?" He nodded sharply. "Well, I used the skills I learned to hunt, grow, and process it so I could eat on this journey without having to buy it in a store. I did this so I could become more independent and save money for emergencies in the future. I'll also be able to explore the wild regions with you longer because I won't be dependent on buying supplies as often as other trainers."

Her pokemon looked at her intently and Fara could almost see the cogs turn in his head as he puzzled the meaning of her information. "What I want to help you do is become as independent as I am. Hunting is something your wild cousins do naturally and it will benefit you in several ways. First, you will always be able to supplement your diet in times of hardship. I am going to do my best as your trainer to make sure you are always looked after but things happen. If something happened to me I would want you to be able to fend for yourself." He cut her off with a sharp coo of denial and jumped into lap to nuzzle her stomach.

"Pidgey, I'm not saying this because I expect something to happen to me. I'm being realistic and one of the first things you need to understand is I am a realist. I believe in preparing for the worst and hoping for the best." Turning she reached to stir the simmering stew before turning her attention back to her companion. "Some of the things I will expect of you and any other pokemon I decide to add to our little flock will be self sufficiency and independence. I'm not sure what we are going to do as a career in the future but I know I want to explore as much as we can as long as we can. I want everyone to be at their best." Pidgey slowly nodded his head but Fara could tell he wasn't happy.

"The second reason you will be hunting will to practice your stealth and build your strength." Pidgey cooed in understanding. "Finally, there are a lot of nutrients in eating the kills you get that will help with your development. One of the reasons John is so successful with his breeding program is that his birds tend to be more developed from those extra nutrients and the natural training hunting provides. Other breeders try to use artificial nutrients but aren't as successful as he is and I believe in following the proven methods." Fara gestured at Pidgey to get off and he did. She went to her food and pulled it out of the fire to a rock close to where she sat. After putting it down to cool she focused her attention back to her pokemon.

He was nibbling at the food so she waited for him to finish. Though she had a lot of work ahead of her Fara wanted to take her time. Aside for the soreness she was feeling there was a certain excitement to starting her job as a trainer. The last few days had been so hectic that she really hadn't had time to focus on the newness of everything. Now she wanted to go and slowly appreciate everything she was doing. The next fifteen minutes were spent eating and storing the leftovers for lunch. Once done with that she packed up her notebook, map, and other supplies necessary for a day trip.

Pidgey was finished with his food and followed Fara in the air as she ambled through the brush close to the river. Her first priority today was to start a basic map of her immediate vicinity. Fara wanted to know of any pokemon territories, where to forage for fire and food supplies, and maybe even start to find the berry trees and bushes. Depending on what varieties there were Fara was considering making some fruit leather for her consumption. Finding a good training field was another priority. Pidgey was young and needed a lot of training to reach his potential. The few battles she had had with him were clumsy and she knew the small winning streak wouldn't last.

Her brief exploration ended up being fruitful. There was plenty of wood close to the camp site and in the surrounding areas. Fara had come up with an exercise involving the wood as well. Other discoveries included a small grove of berries; some included the Kebia Berry, Pecha Berry, and even a few Oran Berry trees. The first two were used to decrease poison damage and were a poison cure respectively; both incredibly useful and worth good money. The Oran Berry's were a quick health restorative and were used for food as well as medicine. They too would provide a tidy profit.

Fara had made sure to catalog coordinates and photograph all the Berry bushes/trees for her notes. She had also taken the time while writing to put together notes for her battle reports. An entry in a journal included her brief interaction with the female Pikachu and Rattata that had attacked her. After finishing that she had eaten her breakfast leftovers and started towards a clearing that was 50 yards from camp. It was smaller than her campground by about half but perfect for training Pidgey. She set up several logs around the clearing in upright positions as well as tying some of her rope up in the air in cross patterns throughout it.

While she was doing this she had Pidgey in the vicinity trying to hunt for the first time. It was a task that Fara could only give limited advice for. She had never really watched any Pidgey hunt and only had vague stories from John to rely on. In the end her only advice was to fly high and out of view before striking. That and for him to rely on his instincts. Apparently, it had been enough. Pidgey was currently shredding a small Caterpee in a nearby tree. It was something she avoided watching. Knowing what he was doing and seeing it in action were two different things and Fara was determined not to watch.

After Pidgey finished his meal and Fara completed her training course she began his tutelage. "Now Pidgey, we are going to do several things while we stay in the area. First you are going to be completing the obstacle course I put together. We'll start with you flying slowly until you get the feel of how it goes. Then we will increase the speed gradually until you can do the course at top speed without running into anything. Doing it will help your agility and reflexes. We'll get you turning tight corners in no time. Cool?" Pidgey cooed excitedly and Fara continued. "Next you and I are going to collect fire wood everyday. Once we get a load we will both get to the campsite as quickly as possible with out dropping it. Once we get used to that we'll set up a penalty game to push us harder. This is going to help both of us build our strength. I know I need to get better at carrying my gear around, especially if I plan to do all this berry hunting. It will be good for both of our stamina's as well" Again the little bird cooed in agreement. "So the first thing I want you to do is weaving between the cords and around the logs. Go slowly for the first three times. After that I want you to go at a faster pace." Nodding the pokemon took to the air.

What followed was a disaster. Pidgey, even at his slowest had trouble weaving through the cords. Something she attributed to his age and inexperience flying. He had actually just started flying a week ago and was still clumsy like a child who first learned to walk. He constantly clipped the ropes and had fallen to the ground. Pidgey had even flown straight into the logs several times. Twenty minutes of this had Pidgey bruised and Fara upset. Deciding it best to quit she stopped the Pokemon despite his cooing protests. "Look Pidgey, I know you want to continue and I want you to as well but you need to understand your limits. You're tired and we still have work ahead of ourselves. I also need to adjust the training as well. I don't think I took your age into account when I set up this course."

Her pokemon seemed to gear up for another protest but Fara cut him off. "Pidgey you are only four and half weeks old. Normally your mom wouldn't have let you out of the nest so soon. You also just began flying and the course is a little advanced right now. I think I need to make it easier then once you master that we will come back to this." Pidgey seemed to deflate in sadness. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with starting easier you know." Pidgey looked back up at her. "I'm started off small too. I mean I told you how I needed to get stronger with my gear right?" Pidgey nodded.

"Well a few months ago I got my back pack and decided to see what it would like to carry my gear around. So guess what happened?" Pidgey cocked his head. "I couldn't even lift the bag and when I tried to force it I ended up spraining my back." Her pokemon cooed in surprise. "Yep and then I got into trouble with Mrs. Packard. You will not believe the lecture I got and then I was grounded for two weeks. When I got off that John gave me a lecture and punishment duty for a week. Do you know what they both told me? To take it easy or there would be consequences to my health like my sprained back. That is why we are taking a step back. Once you grow more and get stronger we will step the training up but not a minute before then. Do you understand?"

Pidgey nodded to her then flew to perch himself on her shoulder. Fara reached up and grimaced when she felt the encrusted blood on his feathers. "Before we do anything else though, you are going to take a bath. No buts!" Again Pidgey seemed to deflate but cooed in agreement. Fara hummed and turned towards the river. She refused to work with Pidgey when he was covered in entrails.

Later that evening Fara was tiredly poking at the fire and contemplating her day. While the morning training had started off rough everything had gone well in the afternoon. Pidgey and Fara spent an hour carrying dried wood to a cleared area in the campsite. Pidgey, unused to such work had quickly exhausted himself and was now resting in his ball. It had been far easier for her though. Past experience with carrying pokemon bird seed bags had strengthened Fara up months ago. Now she was just quietly contemplating her day and planning for the next few weeks.

Fara needed to set up a portion of her camp ground for drying the berries she would pick. The process would take about 15 days since she was sun drying them. She already had a specialized poke storage unit for the berries that would be able to store up to ten pounds depending on room. Feasibly she would be able to carry an additional five in her personal storage containers but she was debating on making herself fruit leather and dried meat instead. She could also probably dry some local herbs for seasoning as well. Between waiting on berry season and the length of time it took to dry them Fara was looking at using up most of her food supplies. The river would provide the fish to dry and she had found some regular black berry bushes close to the campsite that would be good for the fruit leather. As far as herbs went she had seen some Rosemary and spotted what looked like wild yam. Both would be welcome additions to her supplies.

She still needed to finish mapping for berry bushes and making a decent drying rack as well. Suddenly it didn't feel as she had all the time in the world. Training, foraging, berry preparation, not to mention a thousand other little tasks were going to take a lot of time and effort. Sighing she leaned back against the log and closed her eyes. While she rested a sudden tug of her hair startled her into an upright position. Looking beside her she caught a glimpse of luminous eyes before a sudden dust cloud obscured her vision. Coughing, she hurriedly called out Pidgey and tried to rub the grit out of her eyes. Her pokemon was instantly on high alert when he saw her state. "Pidgey, I don't know what it was but a pokemon grabbed at my hair. Take a look and see if you can see what it was." Nodding sharply, the little bird flew into the darkness to sweep for the trespasser.

By the time he had returned fifteen minutes later Fara had cleared her eyes with some water and was anxiously pacing in front of her tent. The sudden presence of the unknown pokemon had spooked her. Pidgey cooed softly and landed on her upraised arm. "Did you find it?" Shaking his head in the negative he looked at Fara with concern. "It's alright Hon, I'm fine. That pokemon just surprised me. If it's alright with you I want you to sleep close by tonight, ok?" Nodding sharply, Pidgey jumped to her shoulder and began to nuzzle her face gently. "Thank you. I appreciate it. I can't believe how close that pokemon got to me. Normally wild pokemon keep their distance. I wonder why that one was different." Shaking herself of her thoughts she smiled gently at her friend. "Let's go to bed, I'm tired and I'm sure you are as well." Turning she entered the tent before firmly zipping it behind. She settled herself and Pidgey down for another restless night.

Unknown to her, the same luminous eyes from before stared from the bushes in the distance. Cocking it head the pokemon watched the campsite late into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

Chapter 6: Chaos

The following day Fara shook off the excitement from the mystery pokemon's appearance. Whatever it was would have to wait. She and Pidgey had work to do and over the course of the morning Fara developed a daily schedule for both of them.

They would both start early and while Pidgey hunted for his breakfast, Fara would fish and forage for her own food supplies before making her own meal and eating. She had been delighted to find a variety of wild vegetables and herbs including yams, onions, and potatoes. A light exercise routine would follow for both of them. Fara would do some basic calisthenics and swim for an additional twenty minutes to help with cardio. Pidgey would fly for a half hour and then weave through trees for the remaining time. By the time they were done with this they both would be sufficiently warmed up for some more intensive work.

Fara spent late mornings over the next few days hiking and categorizing the various berry areas and what varieties there were. Taking in the ratio of trees within a three mile radius she came up with a formula on how many berries to pick from each. With those calculations she was able to determine how much space she needed for her drying area. Pidgey spent that time scouting and fighting off wild pokemon that would threaten his trainer. With his explorations, Fara had been able to map out local nests and other pokemon territories. Besides a few Beedrill nests they had found a small pack of Pikachu to the southwest including the small female had met before. Watching the pack interactions one morning had given Fara a lot of notes for her report to Oak.

Midday was spent eating a hearty lunch and warming up for afternoon training. Both Pidgey and Fara would then start the wood gathering competition. Both had an area to place their loads in the campsite and would spend an hour chopping and gathering the wood. Pidgey would use his developing Peck attack to down small limbs while Fara used a small hatchet she had brought with her. Besides the obvious benefit of making sure Fara had a good firewood supply the exercise had strengthened Pidgey quickly. Where before he had trouble flying more than twenty minutes he now had the stamina to fly for over an hour while carrying loads. His agility and reflexes had gone up as well.

Fara's development was much smaller compared to his. A factor she blamed on pokemon's ability to develop their strength more quickly than people. However, she did feel a difference. Overtime the aches and pains slipped away and she was able to walk longer and harder hikes in much less time. The biggest difference for her had been the ability to go from running ten minutes at a time to more than 40.

Once they adjusted to the competition both Fara and her pokemon would use the late afternoon's time to start hauling large flat stones to her campground. When the time came for drying any berries Fara picked she would be using the stones ability to absorb heat to help the drying process. They would act as a sort of oven like surface and dry the berries quicker than if she had just laid them on a tarp. Hauling the stones to the site proved to be a much harder task than wood gathering. One stone could weigh more than sixty pounds and it would take both her and Pidgey several hours to get one up to the campsite from wherever they found it. Usually, they were only able to gather one or two a night but after a week of this they finally finished getting what Fara needed.

After so much activity, evenings were usually spent resting and eating. Pidgey now consistently spent his time with her every night and would keep a silent vigil. Fara would take the time to work on her reports, cleaning, and even doing upkeep on her gear. Her hatchet in particular had needed sharpening on several occasions due to all the use. So far they hadn't seen their night time visitor come back but Fara had seen some unusual tracks she couldn't recognize in the area. She could tell the pokemon was a small quadruped mammal but had little experience in deciphering what type of pokemon the tracks belonged to. New tracks appeared periodically and usually close to camp but since there had been no trouble from the mystery pokemon Fara chalked its interest up to curiosity.

Finally it was April 14th and Fara was finishing her berry picking preparations. She would be using a satchel for carrying the berries back to the camp. The stones were already in position and Fara had made sure to make extra food for the following day to save on time. Pidgey wouldn't be doing his daily hunting but instead would be standing guard at the camp once berries started being brought to it. Fara didn't want to risk wild pokemon taking what she picked so he had to stay. After so much time in the forest Fara had few anxieties of pokemon attacking her while she traveled alone.

In general, most of the forest inhabitants left her alone once they realized she wasn't trying to capture or mess with them. She kept her distance and they left her alone. The few instances of attack had been her coming too close to burrows or other homes and Fara had, since her arrival, learned where not to go.

Wiping the sweat from her fore head Fara looked around the camp. Despite the heat of the day Fara had a small fire going so she could make a fish stew for tomorrow. Wood was neatly piled 15 feet from the fire pit and her drying stones were another ten feet away in the middle of the clearing where they could get the most sun. Her berry picking supplies were placed inside her tent waiting to be used. In it there was some salt, a pot, two satchels along with her knife. Her maps were in her vest pocket and she had hooked some repel to her belt just in case. Confident or not she always tried to be prepared.

Overall, it looked like everything was ready besides the food. Smiling she pulled out the fish she had gotten this afternoon. Already gutted and cleaned Fara now just needed to cut it up for the stew. Throwing an occasional piece to Pidgey she focused on preparing everything. So focused was she, that Fara accidentally threw a piece to the right of Pidgey and into the bushes. Being the fish hungry monster he was, Pidgey dived into the bush to grab the tasty morsel. That was when everything went downhill. A snarl and squawk startled Fara out of her cooking and she watched as Pidgey was thrown out of the bushes into the wood pile.

Scrambling to get to her pokemon Fara was stunned when a grey form burst from the bushes and ran at her. Standing little over a foot and running on all fours was a Poocheyena. Grabbing at her belt she pulled out the Repel and sprayed at the beast that was nearly upon her. A sharp howl burst out of the pokemon as he stopped in his tracks and began to rub his face into the ground. Then her Pidgey was upon the pokemon in a flash. A powerful peck was slammed into Poocheyena's side followed by a tackle that smacked him into a nearby tree. Whimpering the pokemon struggled to his feet but Pidgey took that as an invitation and swooped towards the canine with another Peck attack prepared. Again the attack hit the pokemon's side and this time he didn't get up but lay on the earth and whined.

Pidgey began to gear up for another attack but Fara stepped in between the pokemon and yelled. "Stop it!" Pidgey halted his movement by squawked angrily at Fara and tried to go around her. "No Pidgey! Enough, it's down and out." Again Pidgey squawked indignantly but stopped trying to get around his trainer. Satisfied he was going to stay put Fara turned towards the intruder. The pokemon still lay on its side and a paw pitifully wiped at its face trying to get the Repel off. Its side was weeping two small streams from blood from Pidgey's attack. Worriedly, Fara approached the pokemon slowly. She needed to see what the damage was and help the poor pup. Besides being male she could see its black and gray form was slightly emaciated and his size indicated he was still a juvenile.

When she got close, the pokemon snarled and tried to lunge at her. His injuries prevented the movement and made him whimper and fall to the ground again. She put a hand out as Pidgey began to fly at the Poocheyena again. "No, he is hurt and scared. He doesn't know me and is just defending himself." Shaking off the small bout of nerves she started to approach the injured pokemon. This time more slowly and she began to speak. "Hey Poocheyena, I know you're scared but I need to look at you. Pidgey smacked you down pretty hard." This time the pokemon allowed her close. His yellow and red eyes were blood shot because of the Repel. His nose was running too and Fara knew why. Repel was normally used to keep pokemon at a distance because of the smell. Direct application like Poocheyena got acted like pepper spray for most normal pokemon. However, for a canine pokemon like Poocheyena, it was like acid being sprayed into their noses. Their developed olfactory senses were much more sensitive then a pokemon like Pidgey,

Fara needed to clean the Repel off his face quickly. It could lead to permanent damage otherwise. Reaching a hand out she let him examine it. When he didn't act aggressively she got closer. "Look, we need to clean off your face and I need to take a look at your ribs. The way you're favoring them right now isn't a good sign. This is probably going to hurt too so I need you to stay calm. I have some stuff that can help but I need to make sure we don't need to get you to the Pokemon Center." The pokemon stared at her through slit eyes for a moment before nodding at her then laying completely flat. Grateful for the cooperation Fara spoke to Pidgey. "Pidgey I need you to grab my towel and both the water canisters ok?" The pokemon, still puffed up in anger, nodded before flying towards her tent. Fara turned her attention to the canine and then began to cautiously prod his ribs, feeling around for any breaks. Thank fully, while bruised badly she couldn't feel any breaks. The pokemon before her growled several times during her examination but let her complete it.

While she did this, Pidgey finished bringing the requested supplies before landing next to her stiffly. A quick glance told Fara that Pidgey had taken a good amount of damage from Poocheyena's earlier attack. Making a mental note to attend him next she focused on taking the water and pouring it over the pups face. Between the water and towel she was able to rinse off the spray from his eyes and most of his face. Now she needed to clear his nose, a task he had to help her with. "Hey buddy, we need to clear out your nose but I need your help." The pup cocked his ears towards her. "I'm going to need you to try and breathe the water up your nose a little. I only want you to do a small breath and keep it shallow. Once the water gets in your nose it's probably going to burn but as soon as it gets there blow it out. I'm not sure how many times we are going to need to do this but we'll keep doing it until the burning stops. Okay?"

Again Poocheyena stared at her before nodding his head. "Ok, so I need to lay you to your belly first. We'll take our time. Let me know if you need a moment. I know it will hurt." The pokemon let Fara reach under and roll him to his stomach gently. The obvious pain on his face made her wince. Pidgey had really hurt him. However, once that task was finished she cupped her hand below his nose and poured a small amount of water into the palm. The pokemon lowered his nose and breathed it in only to blow it out quickly with a howl. Grabbing at him she held him still as he started to sneeze repeatedly. Once done she started the process again. It took five treatments of water before the burning stopped. Taking that as a good sign Fara used her towel to wipe his face gently.

The canine rest against her side tiredly. Now that the immediate issues had been handled Fara needed to get him closer to the tent. He and Pidgey both needed additional first aid. "Poocheyena, I need to get you closer to the tent ok?" The pokemon nodded at her and slumped at her side heavily." Getting to her knees, Fara reached one arm under his torso and situated in between his front legs. The other arm went under his belly near the rear legs. Lifting one leg to place her foot on the ground she pushed up and cradled the canine protectively against her chest. He shifted and whimpered slightly from the pressure on his ribs so Fara walked quickly. Instead of laying him outside the tent she brought him in and laid him on a couple of blankets. Pidgey followed them in and lay on her pillow close by while keeping his angry gaze on the pup.

Ignoring this Fara reached for the first aid kit and got to work. From the kit she pulled out two potions and some dried Oran berries. A small canister of milk powder and dried meat was pulled from her bag as well. The hyper potion was quickly applied to Poocheyena while the regular potion was used on Pidgey. Both pokemon shifted uncomfortably from the medicine but Fara ignored this and went outside to the fire. Stoking up the flames a bit she put the dried meat, three spoonfuls of the powder and then cut the dried berries in half before adding them to the pot with the water. Taking some of the fresh fish pieces and couple more dried berries she minced them on her cutting board before adding it to a dish and bringing the mix to Pidgey.

Her pokemon was still watching the Poocheyena carefully but turned his attention to her when she entered the tent. Fara placed the small dish before him and he quickly devoured it all. Satisfied with his eating she went back to the pup. The wounds from Pidgey's Peck attacks were still weeping slightly so Fara pulled out some plasters and bandages. After placing the plasters, she wrapped the exhausted pup's ribs firmly. While she was sure he hadn't broken anything, it was still possible there were some fractures. Going back outside, Fara pulled the medicinal food off the fire and put it in a larger dish. After it cooled she brought it into the tent and roused the sleeping pup. "Buddy, I'm going to need you to eat this. It's got some good things in it to help you heal." Poocheyena sniffed weakly before lapping up the food slowly. He finished it after a short while so Fara left him to sleep. Pidgey was also sleeping on the pillow, having given into the potions sedative quality.

Stepping outside the tent Fara began to shake from the shock of everything. The attack, the injuries, it had all happened so quickly. Looking around Fara could see the camp site was a mess now. Dried vegetables lay scattered in the dirt near the fire. The wood pile was spread everywhere due to her pokemon being thrown into it. Her towel, spotted with blood, and water canisters still sat at the clearings edge where she had helped Poocheyena. Sitting down she wrapped her arms around her legs and began to sob quietly. She couldn't stop shaking but after a while her tears stopped and she pulled her poke device out and dialed a number.

The device range several times before a familiar face appeared. Kind dark eyes appeared on the screen. "Fara, what's wrong?" Tears bubbled up again and Fara tried to speak but another sob swelled. "Fara, what happened? Where are you?" Oak's voice was firm and demanding. Choking back her tears Fara started to speak.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

Chapter 7: Decyzji

Ranger Roan McClain was just settling down for the night when he heard his pokenav start ringing. Groaning, he got up and pulled the device out of his bag and answered.

"Ranger McClain speaking", he stifled another yawn.

An old familiar voice shook the young man awake. "Hi Roan, how are you?"

He quickly straightened from his previous slouch. "Professor, is that you?"

"Yes Roan, I'm sorry for calling so late but I wanted to see about getting your help."

Frowning, Roan replied. "What kind of help do you need sir?"

There was a short pause before the man replied. "I have an issue with a new trainer by the name of Fara Knight. She ran into trouble earlier today and I need you to do a welfare check for me."

"What happened?" Roan could feel a ball of tension build within him. New trainers and trouble was never something that he wanted to hear in conjunction. It usually meant serious problems.

The Professor must of have heard the worry in Roan's tone. "Not that kind of trouble Roan. The situation was relatively minor and she handled it well. I'm just a little worried because of the appearance of a non-native wild pokemon. I also want someone to check on Fara to see how she is doing in general. Call me soft but she is small for her age and I worry about her."

Roan chuckled. "Soft, Professor you seem to forget I have seen you with misbehaving trainers. I still remember how you tore into that trainer from Sinnoh last year. Not only was his license revoked but didn't you get him banned from Kanto for five years?"

The Professor coughed. "That was completely different and you know it. He was abusing those pokemon. He's lucky he didn't go to jail." He paused then continued. "No, Fara's situation is different. She's alone Roan, at least mostly. She's one of the trainer by-blows and has been at a Group Home until a few weeks ago."

Roan sobered up at that piece of info. Trainer by-blows were what they sounded like. Young kids out on their own sometimes did stupid things and children were often the result. Most women kept their children but sometimes they were sent to Group Homes. It had become a rare occurrence these days due to the introduction of the Trainer Contraceptive Act but there were still children like Fara out there. He could understand the man's protectiveness now. Those kids had a smaller support system and rarely became trainers because of it. The fact this girl was on a Journey gave Roan a good idea on what kind of courage she had. The old Professor always had a soft spot for kids with gumption. Her situation probably just made him more protective.

Moving from the train of thought he began to speak. "So you said the incident involved a non-native?"

"Yes, a wild Poocheyena attacked Fara and her Pidgey. Fortunately, her pokemon was able to down it and Fara captured it once I told her to."

Roan frowned, "Why did she wait to capture it?"

"Apparently she sprayed the pokemon's face with Repel when it went after her. After the fighting was done she gave it first aid and left it to sleep in her tent. I think she was in shock and wasn't thinking as clearly. I made sure to inform her of how dangerous it was to leave a wild pokemon that attacked her where she sleeps" he replied.

"She left it in her tent!" Roan was stupefied. It was training 101 to neutralize a pokemon threat by capture if it couldn't be run off.

"I know; I already gave her the lecture. Like I said, I think shock was the culprit. Not to mention she has a soft heart. The pokemon had been cooperative and she didn't think it was necessary to capture it." The Professor then sighed before continuing. "That's why I need someone to do a welfare check. Officer Jenny said you were the closest Ranger. Could you check on her for me?"

Roan frowned. "I'd love to but where is she at? I'm outside of Pewter now."

Oak replied quickly. "Fara's in the West end of Viridian Forest, about ten miles from the edge of Mt. Silver. She's on a Berry picking expedition. I have her coordinates and can send them to you."

Roan thought quickly. He was probably the closest Ranger. The patrols were relatively thin in this area right now.

"Professor, I should be able to check on her. I need to do a run of Viridian Forest anyway. Our last patrol of the area was in the fall. Send me her location. I should be able to get to her within a day or two." He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Does Fara know a Ranger will be coming to see her?"

Oak sighed before replying. "Yes, I told her I wanted someone to check out the area because of the pokemon that attacked her. Fara told me the Poocheyena is young and I'm worried there may be a breeding population in the Forest. We need to neutralize it if there is."

Roan couldn't help but agree. Breeding populations of non-native pokemon were discouraged, especially predatory pokemon, like those of the Mightyena line. They could decimate other native pokemon species that weren't used to them. A bug nursery like Viridian would be easy pickings.

"Alright Professor, I'll head out first thing in the morning. I'll give you a call when I've finished my investigation" he said.

"Thank you Roan. Let me know if you need anything." Oak said.

The signal disconnected and Roan put his device away. He then began to settle in his sleeping bag quietly. Before closing his eyes he smiled. Late hour calls, Pokemon mysteries, they all made him excited. This is why he was a Ranger.

Fara woke up to the gentle coos of Pidgey. He lay beside her pillow and occasionally used his beak to preen her hair. She didn't move for several minutes as yesterday's events flew through her mind.

At these memories she couldn't help but groan and push her face into the pillow. Now that it was over she felt so stupid for crying and calling the Professor. Some independent trainer she was becoming. She couldn't even go two weeks before she had a Ranger coming to check on her. Pidgey pecked at her head and she turned towards him. Lifting her hand she began to stroke the little bird and look him over closely.

He wasn't moving as stiffly as he had the night before and was much more relaxed now that the Poocheyena was encased in the pokeball beside her gear. Tension slowly released at knowing her friend was alright. Pidgey being hurt had scared her more than anything else. Even her own welfare had meant little to her in comparison.

Sighing, Fara began to get up. It was the first day of berry season and she needed to get started. Grabbing an older set of clothes and a hair tie she changed and put her hair up. Taking her bandanna she wrapped it around her head to prevent the curls from getting in her face.

After that was done she went to the river to wash her face and do her morning toilette routine. When she returned Fara grabbed her prepared satchel for the berry picking. Pidgey flew down from the sky and perched himself on her shoulder.

"Hey there buddy. There's food in the bowl over there. Keep an eye out for me. A Ranger should be coming in the next couple of days so please don't attack him. Just get me when he arrives, he should be wearing a red vest." Turning she grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a note before tying it to Pidgey's leg.

"If he does come make sure he gets this note." Pidgey clacked his beak in irritation. "Don't bite." Her tone was sharp and she looked directly into his eyes. "I know you aren't a mail bird but this is important. The last thing either of us needs is to get in trouble with the Ranger Corp." Pidgey just turned his beak away and rolled his eyes.

Fara, for the first time, was angry with her pokemon. The little pokemon was being disobedient about something simple. On one level she understood that this situation was inevitable. Pidgey had always had an attitude when it came to strangers. Usually, he listened but he didn't want to today.

However, this attitude was going to go whether he liked it or not. Dislike of strangers or not he would learn to be civil. Fara began to speak to him firmly. "Pidgey look at me." He ignored her. "I said look at me and I mean it." There was a sharp edge to her tone now.

Pidgey reluctantly moved his gaze to hers. "You seem to be under the impression that you can do what you please when it comes to strangers. This is partially my fault. It was funny when you messed with John but you need to understand that this aggressive behavior with people is going to stop now." Pidgey puffed up in irritation.

Fara wasn't amused. "Do not give me that attitude. I am doing this for your own good. Do you know what will happen to you if you persist in being aggressive with humans?" Pidgey wilted slightly and shook his head in the negative.

"You will be put down." Pidgey squawked in surprise and Fara continued. "When I went to school they made sure to tell everyone what would happen if a trainer had an uncontrolled pokemon. One of the League's Protection Acts state that violent and uncontrollable pokemon will be seized from the pokemon's trainer and euthanized if it is found they are a threat to others." She let that information sink in for a moment before continuing.

"Attacking other people and pokemon outside of defense, authorized battles, and training is strictly prohibited by the law and me. You are my best friend but you, like me, have to answer for your actions. I don't expect you to become best friends with everyone and I will do my best to make sure others you don't like keep a comfortable distance. I just need you to be civil and avoid violence. Can you do this?"

She looked at him squarely and let him think. A moment later he deflated and nodded his head with a coo. Smiling gently, Fara reached out to stroke his breast. "I love you Pidgey. That is why I have to be firm like this. Do you understand?" He nibbled at her finger gently and she knew he understood.

"Alright then; I'm going to the patch to the southeast of the river. You remember that one right?" He nodded. "It's only a couple of miles away so I expect to be back by late afternoon. Keep an eye out and defend the camp if necessary." Smiling she lifted her arm and Pidgey flew off to a nearby tree. Turning she started towards her destination.

The little bird pokemon shifted on the tree limb while keep his gaze on his trainers nest. He still felt upset on how his Pretty Fara had scolded him. Pretty Fara had always been nice. She had been the first thing he had seen besides mama.

Pretty Fara gave him yummy food and preened him very well. She also helped him get strong. All the games she played with him were fun. Her teaching him hunting was even better. Now he could eat fresh food whenever he wanted. So it made him sad that he had made Pretty Fara mad. He didn't mean too, he just didn't like the strangers who thought they could go near him or Pretty Fara. He was only Pretty Fara's and others didn't deserve to touch what belonged to her.

Mama had told him to protect his Pretty Fara. She was a small hatchling and there were many predators out in the world. Mama told him some humans liked to hurt small hatchlings like Pretty Fara and he wasn't going to let that happen. So he was sad she was upset but he decided he would listen. He would put up with stupid human touches if it meant Pretty Fara was happy.

A noise came from a nearby bush and Pidgey saw it move. He got up ready to attack. Strangers weren't supposed to come near the nest when Pretty Fara was gone. He could see a human hand move the bush and he flew in the air. Suddenly a man was there and Pidgey stopped from diving at the human. The human was male and had a red vest.

Pretty Fara had said there was a man with a Red Vest coming. He flew closer and the Red Vest looked at him. Red Vest smiled and lifted an arm. Pidgey cooed in disgust. The thought of touching a stupid human other than Pretty Fara was yucky. But Pidgey had promised and landed on the end of Red Vest's arm. Red Vest was much bigger than Pretty Fara and had feathers like Pretty Fara but darker. Red Vest also had eyes the color of water.

Remembering what Pretty Fara wanted him to do Pidgey lifted his leg that held the strange leaf with scribbles. Red Vest took it and then Pidgey flew away and landed on the wood pile. He watched the Red Vest as he looked at the leaf. Red Vest looked back at Pidgey and smiled before speaking.

"Thank you Pidgey. Your trainer told me to wait and that you would go get her. Would you do that?" Pidgey snorted but nodded and flew into the air. Pretty Fara did say she wanted him to come and get her when Red Vest came.

So Pidgey flew and found Pretty Fara near the patch of berries that were the color of the night sky as it got dark. Pretty Fara said they were purple. Pretty Fara smiled when he got close and so he landed on his spot. Pretty Fara preened him and he cooed. Pretty Fara always preened him right.

"Is the Ranger at the camp Pidgey?" He nodded at Pretty Fara. Pretty Fara then got off the tree and put some berries in her bag. "Were you nice to the Ranger?" At his Pretty Fara's question he cooed again. Pretty Fara smiled then and Pidgey felt happy. Pretty Fara was even prettier when she smiled.

It was close to three when Fara got back to the campsite. She had seen a fire in the distance and assumed the Ranger had started one. Pidgey hadn't seemed worried so she took her queue from him. Once at the camp she caught sight of a young man in khaki's with a red vest.

Pidgey flew to a nearby tree as Fara got closer. The Ranger turned to her with a smile and Fara's breath caught. He stood a little over six feet tall and had the prettiest blue eyes Fara had ever seen. She felt a flush crawl up her throat and tried to speak.

"He.. Hello, how are, um who are you?" That's a great way to start a conversation, Fara thought. However, he ignored the stutter and his smile deepened. He then brought a hand out for her to shake.

"Hello, "I'm Ranger Roan McClain. Professor Oak called me and said you had a bit of trouble yesterday. He wanted me to check on you and the situation." He firmly gripped her hand in a shake then continued speaking.

"Let's take a seat and we can talk." He gestured towards a log near a small camp fire. "I hope you don't mind me starting the fire but I thought I could make us a late lunch."

Fara took a seat and shook her head. "Its fine but I can cook if you want. You've been traveling for a while. Making you a meal is the least I could do."

The man laughed and Fara's face heated more but when she looked at him, the smile he had was kind. "If you want to I won't stop you but from what the Professor said you had a hard time of it yesterday."

She scowled. "It wasn't that bad. I didn't get hurt and Pidgey's okay now. I was just out of it when I called Professor Oak. I don't know why I bothered him now."

Roan cleared his throat and she brought her attention back to him. "Fara, from what I was told you had a big scare. You do know its okay to call and talk to someone when that happens right?"

She stayed quiet for a moment before replying. "I just don't want to burden anyone. I'm supposed to be independent now."

"Being independent involves more than taking on the world by yourself you know. It means understanding your limits and knowing to ask for advice or help when you need it." He replied.

He continued. "Anyways it was a good thing you called. I was told the pokemon that you captured was a wild Poocheyena right?" She nodded and he started speaking again.

"I need to know what happened yesterday and want to look at the pokemon. I was told it was young so both the Professor and I need to determine if he was a random pokemon or if there might be more of these pokemon in the forest."

Fara frowned, "why do you need to know if there are more Poocheyena?"

"The reason we need to is to see if there is a breeding population. They could be a threat to the eco system. They aren't native and having too many of these guys could really hurt the wildlife around here."

He let Fara digest the information.

"So can you give me Poocheyena's ball for a moment? I want to check him out. Then we can go over the attack."

Fara nodded and retrieved the pokeball before giving it to Roan. The Ranger quickly released the canine. Poocheyena was still sleeping so the examinations were quick and efficient. Roan asked Fara questions in regards to the first aid she preformed.

Fara was happy to receive the compliments he gave her in regards to the first aid she had done. The only suggestion he had was to get some cue tips for her first aid kit. It would have been easier and safer to clean the canine's nose out that way. After agreeing with him Fara asked him to take a look at her kit.

"I can look at it for you but why?" he asked.

"Well, you seem to know a lot about first aid. Nurse Joy and school taught me the basics but you seem to know more field medicine. You said it yourself earlier; knowing when to ask for advice is part of being independent." Fara replied.

Roan burst out laughing and Fara felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. Roan chuckled for another minute before speaking.

"You know my girl friend would like you. She has a habit of throwing words back in my face too. Anyways, I'll look at the kit. Now why don't you tell me what happened yesterday?"

Pushing back the disappointing knowledge that the cute Ranger had a girlfriend Fara spoke. She informed him of the entire incident, only stopping to clarify details at Roan's request. After that was done, Roan told her his plan of action.

"I'm going to need to stay here a few days. If you don't mind, I'll stay at this site until I finish my investigation. From what I can gather that pup is on his own. If you're right about the tracks I'm sure he's been staying close hoping to get some food. Pidgey probably just startled him yesterday and if your pokemon's protective attitude is any indication, then a fight was inevitable. Poocheyena just got the raw end of the fight." He shifted in his seat.

"I'm going to look around and see if I can find any evidence of others but I doubt there are. Mightyena are protective of their young and wouldn't let one of their own get as emaciated as this one." He then looked at her and spoke with a serious tone.

"Now I need to know whether you want to keep Poocheyena. If you don't then I can take him to a rehabilitation center and, with some time, I'm sure he could be adopted by another trainer."

Fara took a few minutes to think. She hadn't been planning on acquiring another pokemon until she was more financially stable and Pidgey was stronger. On one hand it would force her to tighten her belt metaphorically and make her finding a career all the more important.

On the other hand a Poocheyena would be a wonderful addition to her team. They were a fiercely loyal breed and solid protection for her travels. Their capability of learning Odor Sleuth would also be valuable for tracking. Getting lost would be less likely with such a pokemon.

Then a part of her wanted to say yes because the pokemon was a canine. The Group Home had been given the privilege of fostering and training Growlith pups several times for the police. The experience had given her a soft spot for canine pokemon. Making up her mind she turned her attention back to the Ranger.

"Would it be possible for me to spend some time with Poocheyena then make a decision? I want to see what kind of personality he has and if he would fit in with Pidgey and I. I also want to see if he wants to stay too. Pidgey beat him up pretty badly and I don't want him to feel uncomfortable with us."

Roan smiled and spoke. "Of course, I'm going to be here for a few days. But are you ok with me staying in the camp site? You never answered that question."

Fara flushed in embarrassment again. "Of course you can stay. "

"Well that's good. Now how about we get that dinner started. I can go and gather some fire would while you cook." Roan got up to do that but was stopped by Fara's stubborn friend. Pidgey had flown to the wood pile and puffed up in anger.

Roan turned his head to Fara in question. "He doesn't want you to do the wood gathering." She said.

"That would be why?" he asked.

Fara giggled and got up. "It's his favorite training game to gather wood. We have a competition almost every day. We each have an hour to get as much wood as possible. The winner gets a special desert treat as a prize. He doesn't want you to play." Fara sighed then continued. "He's a little possessive of me and our time together. I'm sorry.

Roan smiled and shook his head. "Don't be sorry. I understand how possessive pokemon can be of their trainers. My brother has a Persian that clawed me because I stopped one of their training sessions early. I'll keep my distance from him and please let me know if there are any other things I shouldn't do around him."

Fara nodded. "I will. I don't think we'll need the wood though. Pidgey and I gathered extra yesterday and I have most of supper prepared already. I started berry picking and wanted to devout extra time to that. All I need to do is get an extra fish from the river. I was only planning on one tonight."

Roan nodded back and turned towards the river. "I'll go catch my fish then. When I get back you can start the food and then I'll start setting my tent up. Just let me know where you would like me to be." Waving at her he then started towards the river.

Fara smiled at him then turned toward her gear. Lunch and drying prep waited for no one.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 8: klejenie

The next day came quickly for Fara. Dinner had been mostly a quiet affair and both she and the ranger had gone to sleep early. Pidgey had woken her at the crack of dawn. It was a new habit that Fara had unintentionally taught the little bird due to a few early starts. He was unusually persistent in this task and Fara had given up trying to convince the pokemon that sleeping in was allowed. After getting up she had found a note from Ranger McClain stating he would be out patrolling the area.

Looking up at her pokemon she couldn't help but grin. His possessive antics the previous evening had been hilarious. Even now he refused to stray far from her. He was currently roosting in a nearby tree while she picked from the surrounding berry bushes and trees. Her satchel was mostly full of Bluk Berries.

It was a dark purple fruit about the size of a plum that was popular with people into pokemon beauty. The fruit was rich in B Vitamins complexes and helped make pokemon skin and hair shiny and full. It was a fairly common berry but its popularity made sure it was always in demand. This part of the forest seemed to have a large population of the fruit and so Fara had been able to get a lot. She was optimistic about her haul and the funds it would produce.

Standing up she stretched her cramped muscles. The sun indicated it was after noon and she figured it was time to head back towards camp. She still had to wash and cut the berries before setting them out to dry.

As she made her way back to the camp site Pidgey flew above her. His flying form had improved since she began training him. There was now a hint of grace that had been missing before. He was almost finished with basic flying training. His brutal defense of her had proven his mastery of Peck as well. It amazed her how quickly pokemon could adapt and learn.

However the brief thought of the attack made her think of the other participant in the fight. Her hand brushed against the pokeball attached to the magnetic slot on her belt at the thought of Poocheyena. So far she hadn't released the pokemon from the ball.

Fara's hesitancy wasn't logical. She knew Pidgey could defend her but the memories of the violent event nauseated her. She really did not like to see pokemon battling. However, Fara also knew she wouldn't be able to make a decision about keeping Poocheyena until she met him face to face.

While thoughts twirled in her head Fara finally made it to camp. There was no sign of the cute Ranger. Sighing in disappointment Fara made her way to the tent and out her gear down. Grabbing a small water pail she lifted it towards Pidgey. "Go ahead get this filled with water Pidgey. I'll get lunch ready." Her friend cooed and grabbed the handle of the pail before heading off. Fara then set about rekindling the banked fire and setting up for lunch. While thinking earlier Fara had come up with a plan on how to approach Poocheyena.

Since the attack had been a result of fish scraps and taking into account the pups emaciated state Fara figured food would be a great way to negotiate. She quickly pulled out some dried meat, veggies and spices and began to put them in a small cook pot before setting it to the side. The young trainer then began to sift through her gear before pulling out a canister of dried milk, pokemon food and first aid kit. Just as she finished Pidgey returned with the water.

Taking it from him with a small smile she poured a portion into her cook pot before setting it to the side. Pidgey situated himself close by on the wood pile and watch as she took handfuls of berries and gently rinsed them off. As the water dirtied she would place the clean berries on a small plastic tarp and then had Pidgey get more water. Fara would also occasionally stop and stir the food she placed above the fire. The stew was slowly simmering and softening the dried goods. A few taste tests had her adding some salt and dried Miltank Milk to make it richer.

After she finished cleaning the berries Fara began to section them into quarters to help accelerate the drying process when it started. This process was time consuming due to her careful cutting. Sloppy work would diminish the value of the dried fruit, something that Fara refused to have happen. When she was almost done Fara was interrupted by her pokemon's warning coo. Looking up she spotted Ranger McClain approaching the campsite. Returning a welcoming wave of the hand she went back to work.

Fara heard the Ranger go to his tent before approaching the fire to sit down. He stayed quiet while she finished the last of the berries. Once done she looked back up to see the young man watching her. She broke the silence.

"You don't need to be so quiet."

He grinned and spoke. "I didn't want to interrupt. Mom always wanted silence while she was in the kitchen. I figured you'd talk to me when you were ready."

She returned his smile. "Don't worry about that with me. Mrs. Packard, the Group Home Director, liked to talk while we cooked. Anyways, how did your patrol go?"

"It went fine. It looks like this part of the forest has been relatively undisturbed by humans for a while. There's quite a population of Pikachu breeding up north."

Fara's smile deepened when the Ranger mentioned the electric pokemon. "Aw, I know that group. I ran into a young female on my way to this spot when I first entered the forest. She came right up to me while I was eating."

"Really? They must not run into many people then. I know a lot of trainers try to capture them given half a chance. They are quite popular." He sounded puzzled.

"You didn't happen to capture her did you? It'd help my report if I could a closer look at her."

Fara shook her head in the negative before speaking. "I wasn't looking for a new pokemon at the time. Plus Pidgey still hadn't had any solid training by them time we met her. I didn't want to start a fight I knew we'd lose."

Ranger McClain looked at her thoughtfully before speaking. "You're pretty smart for a newbie. Most new trainers would have tried anyway."

He looked up north before looking back at the young trainer. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in trying to capture a Pikachu now would you? That pack isn't huge right now but I am going to tell HQ that they are growing in numbers. We'll probably have to send out some leads to trainers. A few captured will keep the population in control."

Fara thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I still need to see if I'm going to keep Poocheyena. I'm not sure if I'm capable of handling three pokemon right now. The berry sales are going to help but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of career I want."

The Ranger interrupted her. "You're not a battler?"

Fara shook her head. "No, I don't like to battle and I'm not really interested in Contests either."

He hummed quietly. "Well why don't you think about it? I'm not trying to be pushy but you seem to be a good kid and if a Pikachu already approached you then chances are that you have the right disposition for one."

Fara frowned at him. "What do you mean? Pikachu only came up because of the trail mix I dropped. She was probably just hungry."

The older teen chuckled and shook his head at her. "That's what you think. Pikachu are notoriously finicky with humans. I've learned that, like most pokemon, they can sense people's true character. Chances are that Pikachu got a good vibe from you and was willing to assuage her curiosity. If she hadn't liked what she saw then she would have never approached you, hungry or not."

His eyes seem to grow a little more distant. "There was once a guy I knew when I first started training. He worked great with most pokemon but, for some reason, could never get along with electric pokemon. He liked them of course but every time he tried to find a Pikachu he failed. He spent weeks here looking and never found one."

The Ranger looked at her. "The fact that you were able to find the pack is a good sign too. They probably know exactly where you are and when you get close. Pikachu are smart little things if a bit mischievous. You didn't happen to notice the tracks over there did you?"

He nodded his head towards the other end of the camp site where a large Maple tree stood.

"It looks like at least one of them has been keeping an eye on you since you arrived. I found some berry pits at the trees base with teeth marks similar to Pikachu."

Fara felt stunned. She looked up at Pidgey. "You didn't see a Pikachu here did you?"

Pidgey shook his head in the negative before staring at the spot the Ranger had indicated. When he looked back at her he looked as disturbed as Fara felt. She looked at Ranger McClain and spoke.

"How come Pidgey didn't notice anything? He's been keeping a good eye out."

The teen smiled at her gently. "I'm sure Pidgey has been keeping a close eye out but he's still young. The fact that Poocheyena got so close the other day should have told you he still has a lot to learn about tracking."

Fara frowned to her lap. He was right. Poocheyena had gotten within feet of her and Pidgey without detection. Only dumb luck had allowed Fara to be aware of his proximity. A little Pikachu twenty feet away would have probably had no trouble.

Ranger McClain stood up before sitting closer and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't feel so down. Even experienced trainers find themselves caught unaware of pokemon like you were. Being able to handle yourself when situations like happened the other day are the true test of a trainer. You handled the situation pretty well from what the Professor told me. The fact that you and Pidgey are safe and relatively unharmed is the most important thing."

Fara smiled back the Ranger. "Thank you." She felt better at hearing that.

"No problem. Now I see something that smells wonderful cooking. Is there any chance that I can eat with you?" Fara heard his stomach growl and couldn't help but giggle at the flush that crept up on his face.

"No problem. I made enough for the both of us. Do you like Tauros stew Ranger McClain?"

The Ranger grimaced. "I love it, but can you do me a favor and call me Roan? When you call me Ranger McClain I start looking for my father."

Again she giggled but nodded anyway. "Sure will."

Turning towards the food she checked on it. It was close to done now so she grabbed her bowl from the temporary kitchen area she had set up. Roan had gone back to his tent and returned with his own utensils and bowl.

She pulled the food off the fire and placed it onto a flat rock and then filled her and Roan's bowls. The young Ranger was quick to devour the small meal. Seeing as there were leftovers he refilled his bowl. Fara followed suit after finishing the first serving. It had been a busy morning and the food hit the right spot.

A comfortable silence settled over the camp site. Roan had polished the leftovers and helped with clean up. Pidgey sat imperiously on the wood staring the Ranger down; Fara sighed at the antics but took heart at the Rangers grin when he met her pokemon's gaze. Happy he wasn't taking the rude behavior to heart Fara turned to start Pidgey and Poocheyena's meal.

Pidgey was given a portion of his flying type food. She felt it best to have him eat first. Pidgey was usually in a better mood after eating and probably would fuss less when she brought out the canine. Looking to Ranger who sat near the fire she decided to tell him about her plans while Pidgey ate.

"Roan?"

"Yes Fara." He looked at her.

"I'm going to bring out Poocheyena after Pidgey finishes eating. I need to check his bandages and feed him."

Roan sat up a little straighter and looked at her intently. "I'll give you a hand; best to be cautious."

Sighing in relief Fara nodded before going back to the food prep for Poocheyena. She once again made a mixture of curative berries and Miltank milk. However, instead of fish scraps she mixed a portion of standard pokemon food. The food softened slightly at the moisture. Once done she saw Pidgey finished and put his bowl to the side for cleaning.

He was eyeing Poocheyena's food with displeasure. Shaking her head at him she spoke.

"Don't look at me that way. I need to check on Poocheyena and we need to get to know him. He might become a permanent member of our little group."

Her pokemon puffed up at that statement. "You only have a problem with him because he ate your fish piece the other day."

Pidgey glared but stopped puffing himself up. Seeing as that was probably the best acceptance she would get at this point she reached for the pokeball at her belt and pressed the button to enlarge and open it. A flash of red filled her vision before the small form of Poocheyena formed in front of her.

He was awake and tense with his ears caulked towards her direction. Meeting his gaze she gestured towards the food bowl.

"I have some lunch for you. After you eat I want to take a look at your injuries. Is that ok with you?"

For a minute the canine just stared at her. She didn't blink at all. For a canine pokemon like Poocheyena blinking or looking away would be seen as a sign of weakness. After the minute the pup looked over towards Pidgey and Roan.

Fara spoke. "They won't bother you. Ranger McClain will just help me check on you when you finish eating. Pidgey knows better then to attack."

She said this part sweetly to her little bird and received a short nod of agreement. The Ranger chuckled at her tone by quieted when she looked at him.

Fara turned her attention back to Poocheyena "Go ahead and eat. We'll leave you be."

Poocheyena nodded slightly before lying down to eat. He kept his body facing her and the others but after a hesitant taste began eating in gusto. Obviously hungry, he finished the small meal within minutes and licked the bowl clean. He looked back at Fara and wagged his tail slightly with a whine.

Fara approached him and sat close. She reached and hand out and let the pup sniff it. He gently licked it after and she reached further to stroke his head.

"You liked that didn't you sweetie? You must have been hungry." Poocheyena's tail wagged harder and he scooted closer to lay his head on her lap. She continued to stroke his head and looked towards Roan. He smiled at her and spoke.

"Well it look like he likes you more than you thought huh?"

Fara smiled" Yeah your right. He seems so much smaller now. He really was just hungry huh?"

"He probably was. From what I could see when I looked around there wasn't any sign of others. Normally these guys are pretty dependent on their pack until they get older. He's probably had a hard time of it." The Ranger looked at the pokemon.

"I'm not sure how he got out here. There haven't been any registered captures of other Poocheyena or Mightyena in the area and with no signs of a pack I doubt he was born out here. The only thing I can think of is him being abandoned."

Fara frowned at Roan. "Do you really think that's the case?"

He nodded. "The fact that he's so friendly with you is a good indication. Yes, he's young but a wild Poocheyena, even one his age, would be more wary. The fact he let you help him when he was injured in the attack made me a bit suspicious as well. He's too trusting."

Fara looked back to the pup. He had relaxed and now lay on his side. One hind leg would twitch when she scratched behind an ear. Roan was right. He was acting like the Growlith pups at the home. He acted tough but now that he knew she wasn't going to hurt him, he was putty. She stifled a coo that threatened to escape her. He was adorable and her canine loving heart was melting.

Sighing she looked up to Pidgey. He looked more relaxed but was pointedly avoiding her gaze. "You know what I'm going to say Pidgey, don't you."

He glared and turned his back to her. "Come on hon, just look at him. He's all alone and just a baby."

Pidgey flicked a glance to the puppy. Poocheyena looked back with a dog grin. "See he likes you and we don't want to leave him on his own do we?"

The little bird stood stubborn but soon started to sag. Sensing weakness Fara continued. "Plus think of the help he could be in making sure I'm safe. He can help you with guard duties." The Poocheyena's tail began to thump the ground hard.

Pidgey looked at the canine for a long moment before cooing in a defeated way. Fara grinned. "I knew you would see it my way. How about it Poocheyena want to stay with me and Pidgey?"

The pup yipped and stood up before tackling Fara. Startled she fell to the ground and soon found herself mauled with dog kisses. Laughing at the puppy's excitement Fara let him continue for a minute before trying to push him off. After struggling for a moment she suddenly felt his weight lift off her.

She looked up to see Poocheyena in the Ranger's grip. The startled expression on the pups face was priceless. Obviously he hadn't expected to be picked up.

"Now, now little guy. You need to be more careful with pouncing on little girls like your master here." Ranger Roan smiled down at the scowl that bloomed on Fara's face.

"Don't call me little!"

Roan busted out laughing while Poocheyena's ears flattened at the loud noise. However the little canine settled and looked down towards his new trainer. Fara couldn't help melting at the happy expression on its face. Something told her that picking this pokemon had been the right decision. Reaching up to Roan she took his hand and got up. Taking Poocheyena out of his arms she cuddled the canine close. His soft fur tickled her throat as he reached to lick her chin. Yes, taking in Poocheyena was meant to be.

Three days later Fara was in the process of adding more cut berries to the drying area. Today's haul had included a variety of status cure berries like the Pecha and Kebia Berry. Both were popular poison cures. Kebia berries were less potent then the total cure-all Pechas but were valuable.

However, the area only held a few trees so she had less of these berries for sale. On the other hand her personal stores were going to be stocked to the brim. Roan had explained to her that taking and drying some of these valuable fruits for personal use was okay. He said that the ratio for personal use had recently updated to four berries per tree/bush in the last month.

Standing up Fara looked back to the fire pit. Roan was on his lap top writing. The Ranger had proven to be a valuable aid. Day to day he helped with the normal activities such as foraging, water gathering, and cooking. In addition he had proven to be a wonderful teacher for her. He had explained how best to report her findings with the berry gathering in a neat and concise manner. Seeing as Rangers routinely overviewed reports like these he felt it prudent to share his knowledge.

He said that trainers often failed to provide accurate information on locations and habitats. In addition they rarely provided information on the local pokemon species and their locations. Pokemon proximity and environment usually told Rangers more about the health of the environment.

For example, he had told Fara the lack of Pecha Berries was due to a disease that effected the bug population in Viridian about three years previously. Large portions of the Beedrill and Butterfree line had died in the epidemic before an airborne vaccine had been released into the forest by the League.

Without the pokemon to pollinate as many fruit trees as before there had been a drop in the berries bushes. The unique physiology of the Beedrill line in particular was necessary. Pecha Berry bushes needed to be exposed to the venom that was naturally exuded by the Weedle and Kakuna. Without it the bushes didn't have the necessary nutrients needed to create the Pecha Berries.

He further explained the results that the drop in bug pokemon had happened to the eco system. Without as many bug pokemon, the Pidgey and Spearow line had been forced to over hunt populations of the Raticate line. This had further devastated the berry growth because the dropping of these pokemon often held seeds from other bushes. These rodents helped spread growth but without them the natural cycle had been stymied.

Roan told her the growth of the Pikachu population was a left over result from the drop of the Raticate line. Pikachu now had fewer competitors and were breeding at higher rate. That there were fewer Pidgey and Spearow in the forest didn't help the issue.

The fact that there were so many Bug pokemon now was due to a concentrated effort by Rangers and Breeders. They had relocated or released Beedrill and Butterfree into the Forest. A temporary ban on pokemon catching for a year had allowed the pokemon to situate themselves and begin repopulating the forest.

Fara had been surprised to learn that her former boss John had also been part of the effort. He had released several dozen Pidgey into the forest last year to help restore the natural predator/prey balance. Fortunately Bug and Rodent Pokemon were prevalent breeders so the time it took to restore their populations had been minimal.

Roan's worry about the high Pikachu population would be soon resolved. The League was going to hold a minor pokemon capture competition for Pikachu later in the summer. With that the stress on territory for the Raticate line would diminish and allow a more natural balance of pokemon. Still, the Ranger asked her about capturing a Pikachu herself on a daily basis.

So far she was still undecided. Her new Poocheyena was a pleasant addition but he needed a lot of attention. His species required more attention when they were younger. Fara had also been unpleasantly surprised by her pokemon's lack of potty training. According to Roan he was probably only two months old which meant even with training his bladder control was going to be weak until he was at least four months old.

In addition, he had little focus at this age and a constant need to be in physical contact with her. Training was slow going and she had cleaned more than one mess caused by his inquisitive nature. It was frustrating for the young trainer. Even with her prior experience with Growlith Fara was quickly realizing that the pup was completely dependent on her. Fara didn't have the other Group Home children around to occupy the pups time.

The contrast in him and Pidgey's learning development was drastically different. Pidgey's line matured more quickly then Poocheyena's and their focus was greater as well. Pidgey had moved on from basic flight training to building his speed and agility in preparation of learning Quick Attack. Poocheyena was still trying to understand down, sit, and stay.

Sighing Fara made her way to the pit. Poocheyena, ever the shadow, followed closely at her heels. She figured it was time to work on her reports for Oak and the Supply shop. Her paperwork now included a detailed map and a log of coordinates for the Berry Bushes and pokemon. She was now focusing on her written report. Grabbing everything she needed from the tent she sat on a log and began writing while Poocheyena laid at her feet. Roan continued his own work in silence.

Fortunately, with all the notes she kept, Fara was able to finish the preliminary report within an hour. The ranger was done with his work as well and had headed out to the river to fish.

Instead of starting dinner she sat by the fire thinking. She was stroking her avian friend; he had sat next to her after his hunt. So far she had been in Viridian for a little over two weeks and the progress on her berry hunt had been going very well. By her estimate she should have about ten pounds of dried berries for market. She wouldn't have as many high value ones but she should be able to make a tidy profit.

What she really wondered was what to do next. The work she was doing was great but monotonous. She knew the smart thing to do would be to continue on this vein until the season was up. Though it was only early spring fall and winter would come quickly. The money would hold her over during the harder times of the year. Her thoughts were interrupted by her camp companion.

"Fara, could we talk a bit?"

She turned her focus onto the returning Ranger. His expression was pensive as he set the killed fish aside before sitting.

"I wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving tomorrow evening."

Fara gaped slightly. She had assumed his patrol would take longer.

"I got a call from HQ. They said the reports of Viridian were up to date and they needed me to head towards Celadon. I'm being put on furlough for the next two months."

Fara frowned. "What's furlough?"

"It's basically vacation. I stay on duty for three month periods and then get a two month hiatus. Rangers don't really have a 9-5 kind of job."

"Oh, well that's good right? You'll get to see your family and girlfriend again." Fara smiled but a small part of her was disappointed her time with the attractive man would be over. He was a really good person and had taught her a lot.

Roan walked over and ruffled her hair with a smile. "Don't worry tiny one. I'm going to give you my personal contact info. I want you to call me a couple times a month to let me know how you're doing."

Fara shoved his had away with a scowl. "I'm not tiny."

Roan's eyebrow rose slightly. "I beg to differ. My brothers Persian is bigger than you. I still don't know how you're able to lift your gear so easy.

"Well unlike you, I don't have expansion space equipment. I have to do everything the old fashioned way. There's no way I could afford the top grade equipment most trainers get.

Fara was speaking about the specialized expansion bag gear. Similar to a pokeball, it could hold more provisions than a normal bag. The gear also had the added feature of making the loads an eighth of the regular weight which was a big positive. One of her goals was to save up for the gear. A low priced bag would come to about 5000 poke dollars. Heedless to say, this was a distant dream.

Roan smirked before speaking again. "Well I want to know if you've decided on grabbing a Pikachu yet. I think you would do a great job and the little guys are a great deterrent for some of the more unsavory people out there."

Groaning Fara glared at the man. "I don't know. Poocheyena still needs a lot of work and Pidgey needs my attention too. Plus I don't know how to train an electric pokemon. I never took the specialization courses for them."

'That's easily fixed and you know it Fara. Professor Oak is always willing to give advice and there are public libraries where you look up the information you need. Just come with me to the Pikachu territory tomorrow morning and meet them. I've spent some time with them and they're pretty friendly. If you don't end up being compatible with one then I'll let this go."

She frowned but ended up nodding her head in agreement. Despite what the Ranger though she doubted there was a Pikachu that wanted to travel with her.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 9: Zaszokowac'

Groaning, Fara settled herself into her sleeping bag gingerly. Her muscles ached horribly and the majority of her body was covered in bruises from the day's activities. Desperately she wished in vain for the pain killers to hurry up and do their job.

Fara's poor pokemon sat in the tent as close to her as they dared. Touching wasn't permitted right now, especially after a gentle nudge from Poocheyena had resulted in a yelp of pain from her. She wished she could comfort them but at the moment she didn't dare move. The whole situation made her miserable and she couldn't help but glare in the direction of Ranger McClain's tent.

He was staying another day or two because of what had happened earlier. Fara blamed him entirely too. All of this was because he pushed her into visiting the Pikachu territory. Sighing she closed her eyes as she remembered all that had transpired.

Flashback:

After an early rising and the usual morning routine had been completed Fara set out with Roan towards the Pikachu Territory. The day was beautiful and cool so the hike was fairly easy. Pidgey flew above both humans and Poocheyena stayed behind to guard the drying berries.

All in all it took them only an hour to hike the four miles. It was easy to see that they were close as well. There were fewer trees and more brush. The few scattered trees showed physical evidence of electrical damage. This was probably because of the electrical storms that cropped up time to time because of the Pikachu residency.

The excess static produced by the mouse pokemon effected the periodic rain storms and made them much more violent. It wasn't uncommon for wild fires to pop up because of the storms either. This explained the lack of trees.

Glancing up at Roan she realized he was slowing down and had his gaze directed in front of him. She could see a large clearing over the bushes. In it several yellow and black pokemon played with each other. There were a couple of older Pikachu but the rest of the pokemon were Pichu. The infant pokemon were clumsy and seemed to tumble all over the place as they played.

The Pikachu stayed close on an outcropping of rocks. Unlike the Pichu they didn't play but seemed to be keeping a keen gaze on their surroundings. In fact, one was staring at Fara and Roan. His ears were twisted in there direction and his tail was lifted slightly. While not an aggressive stance it was one that told Fara to be cautious.

Roan seemed to think the same thing because he stopped. Fara halted behind him and watched to take his cues. She had never been this close to the home territory. Her previous excursion had comprised of sitting on a tree limb with binoculars farther back.

Electric pokemon were particularly dangerous to humans. Unlike pokemon who could take electrical attacks at high voltages, human's hearts could be stopped with relatively low voltages. So caution was a must.

Roan stood for several minutes and watched the male Pikachu. As the stare down continued Fara saw a bush close to them rustle. A Pikachu with a kinked tail popped out and sniffed at them. Roan looked down at the rodent and smiled gently and crouched slowly. Fara followed suit.

The Ranger's movement was rewarded. The Pikachu leaped up on the Rangers shoulder and rubbed his check against Roan's. Fara winced at the small sparks that touched Roan. However, the Ranger didn't react and gently rubbed the pokemon's jaw with a finger and got a soft purr of approval. He looked back at Fara and spoke.

"This is Crooked Tail. I met him a few days ago and we've been pretty good buds since. He's going to be the one that gets us into the clearing. You saw the other male?"

Fara nodded and the ranger continued. "I call that guy Eagle Eye. He's very protective and not trusting of strangers. However he does seem to be close to Crooked Tail here and trusts his judgment. So we'll be able to get close.'

She swallowed but nodded in response. She was nervous with so many dangerous pokemon near by. Crooked Tail, on the other hand, was completely relaxed at Roan's gentle ministrations. He looked at Fara after a moment and cocked his ear forward. Leaping off Roan's shoulder he slowly approached the new trainer.

Tamping down on her anxiety, Fara lifted a hand out slowly for the pokemon to inspect. He sniffed at it and then put his hand under it prompting a head stroke. She complied with the silent request. The electric rodent's fur was rougher then Poocheyena's but still soft. Her hand also tingled from the pokemon's natural static. Rather then hurting as she expected it tickled and Fara couldn't help but giggle.

Crooked Tail seemed to approve and, like with Roan, leaped up onto Fara's shoulder. He rubbed his cheek against her and the sparks tickled Fara tremendously. Roan coughed softly and she turned her attention to him.

"It looks like you have his approval so how about we go to the clearing. Eagle Eye should be good now that we both received the Pikachu greeting." She frowned at him slightly.

"Pikachu greeting?"

Roan just smirked. "That cheek rub was an official greeting. Pikachu communicate through their cheeks with each other. Rubbing it against yours like that was a hello and welcome. If he didn't like us he would have shot off warning sparks instead."

Fara hummed slightly as she thought about what he said. Pokemon were amazing and she seemed to learn something new every other minute. Even now, as she walked forward with Roan to the clearing, she was learning how to interact with wild pokemon just by watching the Ranger.

Crooked Tail hung onto her shoulder with his dexterous paws firmly. He only got off as they entered the clearing. The aforementioned 'Eagle Eye' approached him and sat with him face to face. Sparks and gentle sounds of Pika were exchanged before Eagle Eye looked up and nodded at the humans. A gentle coo sounded and Fara felt her avian pokemon land on her shoulder. Fara reached up and stroked his chest.

His arrival had set off a small alarm with the small Pichu. Fara sighed but reached for her pokemon's ball.

"Pidgey, I need you to return for a while. You're making the little ones nervous." She promptly returned him and smiled at Eagle Eye in apology. "I'm sorry about him; he's just protective like you are. He doesn't trust strange people or pokemon."

The mouse stared for a moment before nodding. Up close, Fara could see a small patchwork of scar tissue on his belly. Battle scars by the look of it. The sight of them told Fara he understood more than his nod. This was a guardian.

Looking up at Roan she spoke. "Well, what are we going to do here?"

The young man grinned and pointed towards the small bunch of Pichu. "You are going to play while I watch. We'll stay for a couple of hours and maybe by the end one of the Pikachu here will want to leave with you on your Journey." He looked at the pokemon around him as he said this.

Scrunching her nose at the Ranger she started towards the infant pokemon and sat down. At first they kept their distance and just stared at her. She ignored them and looked around her. The infants would come at their own pace if at all and she was curious about their home. Pulling out her notebook she started to note the details of the clearing.

From what she could see several Pikachu popped in and out off bushes against the outcropping with food they had gathered. They ignored Fara and the Ranger. There was no food in their mouths as they left the clearing so Fara noted that there were probably burrows under the bedrock.

She couldn't see many berry bushes in the vicinity but there were several Cheri Berry trees. They were a popular paralysis cure and Fara wasn't surprised to see them close to the clearing. Like Pecha Berry bushes needed those of the Beedrill line, Cheri Berry's needed the static from pokemon like Pikachu. However, the fruit wasn't ripe, so her interest faded quickly.

Just as she was jotting these observations she felt a small weight upon her boot. Looking up she saw a Pichu with a jagged right ear staring at her. The little male had obviously already had a run in with predators. Still he had approached her and Fara lifted a hand for him to sniff. The other Pichu were closer as well and watched her interaction with the male closely. She got the impression this was the leader of the little pack. In addition his slightly darker coloring looked like Eagle Eyes fur. He was probably a close relative if not direct offspring of the protective male.

The little Pichu finished his inspection and yelled at the others. Fara was promptly bombarded with little pokemon that proceeded to use her as a jungle gym. Laughing slightly she put her pen and pad down so as to pet some of them. They were curious little guys and tried to investigate any and all pockets. They even tried to get under her clothing, something she stopped due to their sharps claws.

This investigation and entertainment lasted for and hour until the infants tired themselves out. Fara took the chance to lie on the grass with them and, to her amusement; they used her as a pillow. Her arms were supporting her head as she shut her eyes. The air was cool and sun warm so it wasn't surprising she drifted off as well. Before she realized it she was waking up to a persistent tugging at her head. Groggily opening her eyes she looked up to see a rotund female Pikachu pulling at her bandanna.

In fact, the bandanna was almost completely off Fara's head due to the Pikachu's determined effort. Sitting up and putting the sleeping Pichu aside she grabbed her bandanna firmly. Hearing laughter to her left she saw Roan grinning at her.

"Looks like someone want your bandanna for her nest" Fara snorted before gently taking the cloth from the female. She was obviously late in her pregnancy and like Roan said nesting. The Pikachu chattered at her and pointed to the grey cloth.

Fara hesitated before handing it to the female. She liked her bandanna but not enough to anger a pregnant pokemon. Plus she had a couple of spares. The female took it and ran awkwardly towards a bush. She stopped and looked at Fara and began chattering at her while pointing to the bush.

Looking at the Ranger with question she waited for translation. He rubbed at his face before looking at her.

"I think she wants you to follow her?"

"Why?"

"I don't know, they haven't done this before."

They were interrupted by the female. She had returned and now tugged at Fara's pants and started to spark ominously.

"Fara, just follow her. It seems important to her and I'd rather not deal with an angry mama."

Glaring at the man she turned towards the female Pikachu and followed her to the bush. Pushing the branches aside she could see a small cave like entrance just barely big enough for her to fit through. Grimacing she worked her way into the entrance after the electric mother.

It was less of a squeeze then she had assumed but she wasn't able to do anything but follow the Pokemon. Hopefully, there would be a spot to turn around.

The burrow was a maze like structure and after going down for a few minutes they traveled on level ground. Instead of using a flashlight like she had expected she found the tunnels had glow crystals, a common mineral that lit up in the dark. The way down was confusing as they took more turns then Fara could memorize. The static in the air got heavier the farther they went. Her hands would feel static shocks when she brushed them against her clothing and her curly hair began to frizz horribly.

Finally the tunnel opened up to a room like structure that was the size of her one man tent. Glowing crystals illuminated the entire area. Vegetation, branches, and random bits of cloth were piled into several different nests. Fara was startled to see five other pregnant and nursing females lying in these spaces. But what really scared her was the large Raichu sitting in the middle.

Despite this being a Pikachu nest she wasn't expecting the third evolution at all. Unlike the other natural evolutionary stages Pikachu needed a Thunder Stone to become Raichu. Being as rare as they were, wild Raichu were almost never found. Fara froze still at the intimidating males stare. Raichu could put off 100,000 volts of electricity and she didn't want to become a charred husk from this pokemon's attack.

The female Pikachu Fara followed stopped in front of the Raichu and began to shoot off sparks. She lifted the bandanna then pointed at Fara. The Raichu nodded at her and the female then went to the only unoccupied nest. She started to shred the bandanna and place pieces in positions that were important to her.

Raichu on the other hand looked back at Fara before pointing a paw to an empty spot away from the nests. Swallowing, Fara quietly crawled and sat where the pokemon had pointed to. She thought it best to listen to the potentially lethal pokemon.

Raichu nodded at her as she sat then went off into a tunnel close by. Fara sat quietly and just watched the female Pikachu around her. Three, including the female that had led her here, were pregnant. The other three hand a handful of pink forms nestled against them nursing. If she wasn't so terrified she would have been in awe at the opportunity she had been granted by being here.

Being in a nesting site with permission was a rare opportunity. John had always taught her to be careful around his avian pokemon who were nesting due to their high protective instincts. The only female that had let her near her eggs and newborn young had been Rhapsody, the Pidgeot, and that had only been when John accompanied her.

The longer the Raichu was away the more she relaxed and eventually she took out her pad and pen to write. Professor Oak would never forgive her if she didn't get some data. Fara even covertly took a couple of pictures with her pokedex. Thankful for the silence and flash free feature she quickly put it away. She didn't want to startle the mothers with unfamiliar objects.

Her wait was quickly over after that. Raichu returned and unlike when he left, walked on his hind legs. He approached the trainer and she could see that there was something in his paws. When he stopped close by and lifted his paws towards her she lifted her hands.

She almost had a heart attack when she saw the lumpy forms he had dropped in her hands. Tingling in her palms with excess electricity was two Thunder Stones.

"Holy shit!" Her startled exclamation made the Raichu jolt up slightly and she quieted quickly.

Licking her dry lips she looked up at the den master. "Are you sure you want me to have these?"

The pokemon nodded slowly.

"But won't the other Pikachu want to evolve?" He question received a head shake in the negative. The pokemon then pointed to him self and then drew a single line in the ground. He then pointed at himself again. Frowning she spoke her thoughts aloud.

"There can only be one Raichu at a time?"

Raichu nodded sharply. Corralling her thoughts and stifling her questions at the pokemon's stern features Fara spoke.

"Thank you, I don't think what I gave you is this important, but thank you."

Raichu nodded again and stuck out a charcoal paw towards the exit and spoke "Rai". The female from before got up and started for it. Realizing she was being told to get out Fara followed after stashing the stones in her vest pocket.

The trip back was quicker but Fara hardly noticed in her stunned state. After crawling out of the bushes she tiredly sat on an outcrop of rock. Roan approached her and she shifted his gaze to him.

"So what did the Pikachu want?" He asked.

Wordlessly she reached into her vest and pulled out the valuable stones. Opening her hand she showed the Ranger.

She chuckled when she heard his surprised curse. "She gave you Thunder Stones!"

Fara looked up at him and shook her head. "The Pikachu didn't give them to me. There was a Den Master that did."

"Den Master?"

"Oh yeah, there's a Raichu down there."

At that revelation Roan grabbed her and took several quick steps from the Burrow's entrance. Startled she looked into the man's tense features.

"You're not lying are you?" Fara shook her head.

The Ranger cursed again and Fara frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

Roan looked at her as he rubbed his face again. "Fara the fact that there are Thunder Stones and a wild Raichu here is both very important knowledge and very dangerous. I can't believe I let you go down there at all. One wrong move on your part and he would have fried you; no questions asked."

He grabbed at his hair before continuing. "You could have been killed and easily. I should have realized it wasn't just the lack of predators and competitors that led to the Pikachu increase. They have a protector and a powerful one too."

He tugged her further from the burrow to the clearings edge. "Fara tell me exactly what happened."

So she did and she showed him her picture and notes. Afterwards the man seemed to calm but wouldn't let Fara closer to the clearing despite the Pichu beckoning her. He had went silent and pulled out a device, seemingly recording Fara's information. Fara let him have his thoughts. Her own mind was racing at the adventure she just had. She had met a wild Raichu, visited a nest, and now had two Thunder Stones!

While lost in their thoughts both of the humans failed to notice the jagged eared Pichu approaching them away from the keen gaze of Eagle Eye. What neither pokemon nor human noticed was the curled up purple serpent in the bushes by Fara's feet. Glinting red eyes took in the Pichu's approach and muscles stilled and tensed all at once.

In an instant chaos erupted. A large Arbok sprang towards the Pichu. Fara, unaware of the pokemon, had stepped in between by accident when she saw the Pichu.

Fara's legs were slammed into and she fell to the ground hard. Pichu squealed at the sight of Arbok and ran towards safety. Hissing the heavy serpent sprung towards the infant while Eagle Eye's cry of alarm sounded. Within seconds Raichu was there. A huge arc of electricity surged towards the predator. The pokemon dodged but the attack hit Fara. Stunned on the ground she was unable to avoid the electrical attack.

Muscles spasm and cramped and white filled her vision. Distantly she heard the roar of Raichu and Roan's cry. Then all she saw was black.

Roan cried out as he saw the attack hit Fara. Scrambling to her he moved her to her side and stuck a cloth in between her teeth as she seized. Electricity was still coursing through the child's body. Cursing he looked up in time to see another arc hit the Arbok. A followed up Iron Tail pierced through the Cobra's throat and killed it. The Raichu crowed in victory before looking at the humans.

Roan didn't care. The girl in his arms had finally stopped twitching but, he realized in horror, so had her breathing. Rolling her onto her back and pulling out the handkerchief he started mouth to mouth. For three minutes of terror he worked to make the child breath. Finally she did.

Coughing harshly Fara looked up at the Ranger dimly. The Ranger pulled her up into his arms with a cry of relief.

"Oh thank Arceus, Fara. I thought I lost you there." Fara struggled to understand what the man was saying. She hurt so much and was so confused. What happened?

Laying the girl back down Roan pulled out his bag and rifled through it for his med kit. Finding it he hurried to get the young trainers vitals. The examination showed a higher blood pressure and low pulse ox but after five minutes and another check he found her pressure and pulse ox going back to safe levels.

Turning towards a physical check he found the girl had minor burns on her hip where the attack had hit. Next he asked her general questions to get a idea of her cognitive. Fara was still only semi conscious but started to answer questions slowly. He gave her water to help sooth her coughing as she became more aware.

The whole time he worked on her the Pikachu clan gathered behind and waited. Raichu held a solemn frown on his face and the jagged eared Pichu clung to Eagle Eye. The group was worried about the friendly visitor. The ragged ear Pichu especially felt bad. Again he had failed to stay in the safety zone. This time though it was someone else hurt instead of him.

Slowly Roan settled as it became clear Fara was out of immediate danger. Looking up he was startled by the pokemon gathering. Pichu approached when the man lifted his head. The little pokemon was worried about the nice girl human. Approaching the Ranger slowly he pointed at Fara with a questioning Chu.

Roan shook his head but smiled slightly. "She's going to be alright little guy but she's hurt. I need to take her back to the camp."

Pichu frowned and shook his head. Leaping at the human female he clung to her open vest. He looked at Eagle Eye and chued some more. Roan, usually patient was starting to become irritated. He needed to get Fara to safety. Already, he had let her into a dangerous position and then failed to protect her from a wild pokemon he should have been aware of.

Eagle Eye looked at Raichu then approached Roan. The pokemon pointed at Pichu then Fara. He then pointed in the direction of the camp. Roan sighed but nodded. If Pichu wanted to stay with Fara then he wouldn't stop him but they needed to get back now.

Kneeling down he picked up Pichu.

"If you're going to come that's fine but I need you to get on my shoulder after I pick her up ok?"

Pichu nodded and after Fara was lifted to the man's back, hopped up to the Ranger's shoulder. Patting the dazed females head he looked back and waved at his family. He'd miss them but this human had saved him even if by accident. She had also been hurt because of him and Grandpa Raichu. It was his duty to protect her now.

Fara woke up completely by the time they reached camp. She wished she wasn't awake. Everything hurt horribly. It reminded her of the time she had been burnt by Chimchar. However she stifled the urge to cry and with Roan's help sat down. The man proceeded to check her vitals again. She ignored him mostly in favor of the jagged ear Pichu that sat close to her. His presence was confusing to muddled mental state.

Poocheyena approached cautiously. Though he didn't understand what had happened he realized his trainer was hurt and he sought to comfort her. His gentle touch to her thigh was rewarded with a stifled scream. He jumped back and whined, confused.

Roan reached and gently pulled the pup away. He looked at the girl with worry. She was hunched over and he could see the involuntary muscle twitches as she shuddered in pain.

Fara ignored his gaze and the two pokemon looking at her. Tears slowly slid down her face as she suffered the effects of Raichu's electric attack.

Flashback End:

It had taken a couple of hours before she could clearly think again. Roan had given her pain meds, dressed her hip burns, and explained what had happened once it was clear she couldn't remember the attack clearly. He had later made dinner and told her he would be staying until the new Ranger came.

Afterwards the new Ranger would monitor her until medical transport could arrive. Roan told her she needed an air evacuation to the hospital due to her injuries. Her weak protests had been met with steely anger. She was going whether she liked it or not. Roan was worried about organ damage. Still it would take at least two days. A series of heavy storms surrounded the area and was preventing flight. Once they cleared she would be taken to Viridian Hospital. Professor Oak would also meet her there with her current Guardian.

Roan had also said other things but Fara's mind was fogging at that point. Exhausted and in pain all she wanted was sleep. He had helped her to the tent and left her with Poocheyena and Pichu. Fara didn't dare release him yet for fear of his retribution to Pichu or the Ranger.

Now she lay in her sleeping bag with worried pokemon staring at her. Closing her eyes she silently begged for sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 10: Finta

Samuel Oak waited impatiently at the Emergency Room in Viridian City Medical Center. The woman next to him, Joann Brown, Guardian of Fara Knight, sat in silence. Both had met two days previously after receiving the news about Fara.

Sam recalled the horrible call he had received from Roan about the attack. The young man had been distressed at the situation and his responsibility of it. It had taken all of his patience to keep from verbally tearing the Ranger apart after he had gotten the details.

While the Researcher inside of Oak had been intrigued at the thought of a wild Raichu the more rational human side had been furious for the boy forcing Fara into trying to catch a Pikachu. He should have left her alone. As a Ranger he should have known better than to pressure a new trainer into something she obviously didn't want.

The resulting attack may have been an accident but it was a situation that the girl should have never been put into. Roan had gotten overconfident with Fara's mature attitude and forgotten she was an inexperienced ten year old girl.

But he had and now Fara was hurt. Sam had made sure to talk to the boy's superiors. Roan was looking at a serious disciplinary hearing at minimum. Now, however, Oak had to focus on the soon to arrive trainer.

A bell ringing at the Emergency Department entrance announced a new arrival. John Davis was at the door with an older plump woman Oak recognized as Mrs. Packard. Both had stress throughout their features and after spotting Oak approached. He sighed at the furious glint in John's eye. The man was as protective as a mother Fearow when it came to those who got close to him. Roan McClain better hope he never met the Avian Breeder.

John stopped in front of the Researcher. "Have you heard anything yet? Is she here?"

Oak shook his head. "Fara's air evac hasn't arrived yet. We received notice they met Ranger Jessica at Fara's camp site an hour ago. The Air Nurse and Medic are probably doing a thorough evaluation before transport. From what the Ranger said Fara is doing better but is still unable to move without a good deal of pain."

John ran through his hair in obvious irritation. "I can't believe she was attacked by a Raichu of all things. I haven't ever heard about one in Viridian."

Oak frowned. "I agree. The last report of a wild one was at a Power Plant 25 years ago. The fact that there is one in Viridian and has been there for some time is worrying. New trainers couldn't handle one and I'm worried the news of one being spotted will tempt them into doing something stupid."

John looked up. "What's the Ranger's response?"

Oak looked at him. "They are waiting on me to do some investigation before doing anything other then cordoning off the area. I know Ranger Jessica will be staying close until I get there."

He paused before continuing. "Fara was able to get some very sensitive information before the attack. From what I saw in the pictures and her notes Jessica sent me there might have been a Raichu in the area for as long as the Pikachu lived there."

John questioned him. "What do you mean?"

"Fara was invited to the den by a nesting mother. When she got in there she met the Raichu and was given something." Oak looked around before gesturing the man closer.

"The pokemon gave her two Thunder Stones."

John moved back in shock before narrowing his gaze on Oak. "You're joking right?"

Sam shook his head. "I wish but its fact. I think that, based on the age of the den, that there is a small Thunder Stone Reservoir. Ranger McClain said the Raichu indicated to there only being one Raichu at a time."

He chuckled a bit. "Do you know the last time someone was able to visit a wild Pikachu den site?"

John shook his head.

"Never John, Pikachu are very picky creatures and dislike strangers. How Fara got their approval is mystery."

John noted the tone. "You're worried about something else.'

The Researcher sighed. "Yes, I am. Do you know the last time an Evolutionary Stone Reservoir was found? A century ago; I'm worried some League officials or Arceus forbid, the clans, might think about removing the Pikachu and Raichu to get at it. Viridian Forest might be decimated by the encroachment and mining."

Nothing was said at that statement. John just looked to the silent Mrs. Packard before gesturing to a seat. The woman smiled slightly before taking it.

The group of four waited several more hours before a middle aged Doctor approached them. He was tall with salt and pepper hair. His lab coat covered a simple polo shirt and slacks.

"Joann Brown." He asked.

Joann, a middle aged woman with long dark hair rose quickly. "Yes"

The doctor gestured for her to follow him. "I'm Doctor Richards. If you and your group want to follow me I can take you to Fara's room. She resting now but she can have visitors."

A sigh of relief fell from the group as they eagerly got up to follow. The Doctor led them to an elevator. "She's on the third floor in the children's ward. When we get there we'll talk about what's going on."

A general nod of agreement was shared with the group. After the elevator they walked down a colorful hallway. After passing a nursing station the Doctor spoke. "She's in Room 312 right now."

The aforementioned room was in front of them. Mrs. Packard picked up her pace and entered first followed by Joann and the men.

Upon entrance Oak saw that Fara was in a bed sleeping quietly. An IV and various vital sign devices were connected to her. At the foot of her bed was her new pokemon Poocheyena and a Pichu. Her starter was on a perch close to the head of the bed. His dark eyes glared at the group with warning.

Mrs. Packard ignored them and went to take one of Fara's hands. Tears slipped from the woman's eyes before she looked up to the Doctor. "How is she?"

The man smiled. "Fara is doing well right now. We have her on some medications for pain and an antibiotic because of some burns but that's all besides monitoring. The electrical attack is causing some lingering muscle spasms but her organs and cognitive functions are good. We have to wait until she is more comfortable to test for nerve damage. Honestly, considering it was a Raichu attack, we were presently surprised to find so little damage. I think the fact she was lying on the ground when the attack hit saved her life. The attack was also relatively weak and she was grounded so the electricity was able to dissipate into the earth."

He smiled at the girl. "After some testing to rule out nerve damage we should be able to get a good idea on a discharge date."

John snorted. "Got to give it to the runt, she's tougher than she looks."

Snorting, Oak couldn't help but nod his head in agreement with the rest.

Awareness came to Fara in slow stages. First was her hearing. She noticed a constant beeping in the back round. Occasional sounds of rustling clothes and feathers along with whispers penetrated the beeping monotony.

The sounds where followed with her sense of smell and touch. She was lying on a bed that smelled faintly of bleach. Soft warm weights lay beside her feet and moved gently with the rhythm of breathing. Sometimes a hand would grasp hers, others she felt something gently pulling at her hair.

All of this was experienced in a haze that kept her vision black and body still. The time she spent in it was endless and short all at once. But eventually the haze disappeared and she was able to move a bit. It was, unknown to her, two days later that she woke up.

The dimming light in the bedside window indicated it was nearing sunset. Fara felt more than saw the two small forms at the end of the bed. Her vision was still blurry but the sleepy whine she heard told her one of the blurs was Poocheyena. Looking up again she saw her starter in a perch beside her, His head was tucked under a wing in sleep.

Further investigation of the room and equipment confirmed she was in a hospital bed. Looking to her left she saw a corded object clasped to the bedding. A few minutes of groggy thought gave her the name, a call button.

Fara debated but reached to press the red button at the top. She needed to know what was going on. A slight pressure and she heard a distant ringing outside the hall while a light lit above the door. Almost immediately she heard hurried foot steps come down towards her room. The sound woke her starter as well.

Abruptly the little bird's head was out of its resting spot and looking down at her. Struggling to raise her hand to reach the bird she whispered a croaking "Hey". Pidgey was on the bed instantly cooing gently. Thankful for his closer proximity she gently rubbed his chest. The worry in his eyes broke her heart.

Their quiet reunion was interrupted then. A man, in red scrubs and with dark blond hair, walked in. Seeing her conscious state he smiled and approached her.

"Well hello there, my names Josh. I'm your nurse tonight." He reached out to gently grab her left wrist. He continued to speak while checking her pulse. "Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital"

The Nurse smiled. "Yep, we're at Viridian Medical Center, do you know why you're here?"

Trying to swallow Fara spoke "Raichu?"

Nurse Josh nodded again. "Yes, I heard you had an unfortunate meeting with one. You were hit by an electric attack. You've been here sleeping the last couple of days. The doc had you on some muscle relaxer's and pain meds. They helped your muscles but tend to knocked people out hard."

Reaching out to a remote like device he picked it up and spoke to her. "I'm going to lift your torso up a bit. I want to check your respiration and heart out before Doc Richards gets here. He wanted to check on you as soon as you woke up."

Without waiting for a reply he pressed a button and the top half of the bed moved. Pidgey, who stood at the top, was forced back to his perch with the movement. He puffed up at the man but waited. Fara couldn't but silently wonder at the pokemon's patience. A week ago he would have attempted pecking the man for his audacity.

That thought was stopped abruptly. The movement had woken to two pokemon at the foot of her bed. She had a handful of Poocheyena whining and kissing her face in an instant. A throat was cleared and then the pup was off of her. Looking to the Nurse she raised an eyebrow in question.

"It's been made clear to your pokemon to stay as calm and gentle with you as possible. If not they get to stay at the Pokemon Center. We're bending the rules by allowing them to stay with you as is. Your Pidgey kept escaping his ball and refused to leave your side. Doc Richards made the decision to let them stay if they listened and followed all the rules."

Fara shook head and stifled a giggle. Pidgey's facial reactions to those statements were hilarious. She could just imagine the stubborn bird having been told to play nice and him having to put his pride aside to do so. It also warmed her that he was so determined to stay by her side. Fara reached out to his perch and stroked his breast.

"Thank you Pidgey. I know it's hard to be around strangers but you behaved and stayed by my side. I'm so proud of you."

Pidgey cooed and nipped her finger gently. Fara's smile deepened at the affection. He didn't like to overtly display affection so his doing so in front of Nurse Josh told her how much he cared.

Looking towards her thighs she smiled and scratched behind Poocheyena's ear. The pup wagged his tail and began licking her arm. This boy was always affectionate and she appreciated it as much as Pidgey's quiet displays.

A slight movement farther down brought her attention to the small Pichu. He was watching her but didn't approach. She recognized him from the forest but was confused why he was in her room.

"Josh, why is Pichu here?" Fara looked to the Nurse.

The nurse frowned lightly. "Ranger Jessica said he was yours. He is isn't he?"

Fara frowned and thought hard. Her memory of the events of the attack and after was still hazy. "I don't know. I think I recall him coming back to the camp site but everything's hard to remember. I was in a lot of pain and slept most of the time. I just know I can't remember catching him at all."

The man looked at the little mouse. "We'll have Professor Oak look into your registry records then. If he's wild he will have to leave. Doc Richards only gave permission for your pokemon to stay."

Pichu apparently didn't like that because he quickly started shaking his head and clung to Fara's foot. He chattered at Fara in a pleading tone.

She groaned at that. She had a feeling the pokemon wasn't going to leave willingly. Looking back at the shaking pokemon Fara lifted a hand out to him. He jumped over Poocheyena and on to her stomach before placing a paw on her hand.

Seeing the tears in the pokemon's eyes she made a decision. "Pichu, did I catch you with a pokeball in the forest?"

Pichu shook his head slowly. Fara sighed and looked at the Nurse. "Do you have my stuff? I need a pokeball. I'm too tired to fight with Pichu so if he wants to stay then he can."

Pichu lit up at the declaration and looked towards Nurse Josh. The man was chuckling at the duo. "Yes, we put your belongings in the closet over there. But first we need to finish the check up and then we'll get the ball."

Nodding in agreement Fara laid back and went through with the Nurse's examinations. Blood pressure, heart and respiration rates were checked. She even went through a basic cognitive test. The Nurse was apparently happy with the results if his smile was anything to go by. After they were done he went over and grabbed Fara's bag from a small closet opposite of her bed.

He brought it to her and helped sifted through the haphazardly packed belongings. Once she had the ball a quiet pat with it and Pichu was captured. She quickly released Pichu and let the man beside her out her belongings away. The little effort she had used had exhausted her.

It was just as Josh finished that two more people entered the room. Once was a young woman with pony tailed Strawberry Blonde hair and brown eyes in purple scrubs. The other was a middle aged man in a lab coat. He quickly smiled when their gazes met and started speaking.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Richards, this is Stacy, and she's your CNA for the evening. We're going to have her take your pokemon out while I do my examination and talk if that's okay?"

Fara smiled. "Yes, that will be fine." Looking at her friends she gestured towards the Aide. "Go on and behave for her."

Reluctantly the pokemon followed the CNA. Focusing on the Doctor she waited.

"So from the notes Josh just gave me it looks like you vitals are all normal. I'm just going to have you do a physical evaluation of you muscle control and reflexes. The Raichu's attack caused a seizure so I want to rule out any nervous system damage."

Nodding at the man she went through the basic exercises as he requested them. It became apparent quickly that while she still had full motor control she had lost muscle mass and was weaker than she was used to. The exercises had drained her within minutes and it was sheer force of will that allowed her to finish.

Doctor Richards was smiling though so Fara felt things were going well. After a short while he stopped her.

"It looks like everything is in working order. You'll need to spend a few weeks recuperating and build up muscle for travel but otherwise your fine. The MRI and CAT scans were clean and we tampered off the muscle relaxers a day ago with no recurrent muscle spasms so I should be able to discharge you tomorrow."

Fara wasn't listening however. Her mind had paused on the timeline of recovery she had been given. "Weeks before travel?" she muttered at the Doctor.

He noticed the tone. "I'm afraid so. Humans are funny creatures. Unlike pokemon days of inaction causes humans to lose muscle rapidly. You haven't lost enough to affect your basic daily functions like walking but traveling will take too much effort. Between the time frame when you last had a physical and now you've lost ten pounds. On a girl your size that is weight you can't afford to lose." His tone was sympathetic.

Fara didn't care though. She almost flinched at the thought of having to gain ten pounds. She had always been petite and slim. Gaining weight was hard for her despite the extra activities and protein she ate to get heavier. Her journey had almost been put on hold because of it. Size did matter when traveling and being able to put on a few pounds would help trainers with the higher activity levels and leaner times. It would be a nightmare to regain that weight.

This didn't even factor all of the berries that were wasted from her accident and her inability to get right back out and start picking again. Fara had only dried two batches of berries by the time of the attack and had left another six behind. If her calculations were right she had lost close to 400 poke dollars in profit. In addition the future weeks of inaction would make her lose whatever profit she would have gained from picking in that time.

The sudden burning in her eyes hinted tears at the sudden onslaught of fury she felt towards Ranger McClain. All of her effort wasted because he wouldn't stop pushing her to get a Pikachu. Well she had a Pichu now but she was in the hospital, going to be weeks behind her travels and have much less money than she had expected; money that she and all her pokemon would need for supplies.

A firm grip on her clenched fist shook Fara out of her thoughts; Doctor Richards was looking at her with concern. Pushing her angry thoughts away she focused on the man.

"I know this is hard Fara but focus on the here and now. I don't know what's going through your mind but I want you to understand how lucky you are. You should have died. If not for the attack being weaker than usual you would have. Stronger trainers than you have died from weaker Raichu attacks."

Fara swallowed at that. A little bit of shame welled up at the stern reminder. He was right, she was alive. How many horror stories had she heard from her teachers at school? Death was a reality trainers had to face and she had gotten her first brush with it. It was pure luck she was alive. Worrying about money should be the last thing on her mind.

Doctor Richards hand gentled and she focused back on him.

"Now I want you to eat and get some rest. Your guardian and other visitors will be back in the morning. I'll call and let them know you are awake. We'll focus on a plan of action tomorrow." He said.

Fara nodded at him and relaxed against the bed.

Nurse Josh, who had been quiet, caught her attention with a hand gesture.

"I'm going to have your dinner sent up. I'm sure you're starving."

Smiling slightly Fara silently agreed. Taking a deep breath she relaxed and lay back. Food would be good.

Sam Oak slowed his hurried pace as he approached the hospital. He had been pleased to learn of Fara's reawakening and was excited to see the child. He has so many questions.

His stay in Viridian had been split between her hospital room and preparations for his research expedition to Viridian Forest. Ranger Jessica had been sending daily reports but the information was limited. It seemed the Pikachu pack was a lot more hesitant in allowing the young woman access to their territory. Fara's insight would be a welcome respite to the lack of information.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Oak walked through the sliding glass doors. His companions Mrs. Packard and John were close by his side. Fara's Guardian, Joann had flown back to Celadon the previous day.

Oak frowned at the thought of the woman. While a decent person, Joann wasn't what he would call parent material. It wasn't unexpected though. Joann was a lawyer first and foremost and was responsible for several dozen orphans. She was quite busy with handling the children's legal matters most days. An extended stay for her was difficult so she had handled most of the pressing matters quickly. Before she had left, Joann had seen to completing the hospital paperwork and arranging a place for Fara to rest until she was up to traveling again.

The woman was now going to start dealing with the Ranger Corp's involvement in Fara's incident. There would be hearing for Roan and Joann would be attending. Already the division had begun the process on reparations. All hospital and rehabilitation fees were to be paid by them. Lodging, food, and supplies replenishment fees would be settled once Fara was better. Joann was looking into getting Fara a financial settlement on top of those as well.

"Professor?"

Oak looked to John as they waited for an elevator.

"Yes John."

"What are you thinking about? You're frowning pretty hard there."

The Researcher let out a wary sign.

"I'm just thinking. Between Fara and this research expedition I have been busy."

The Breeder grinned a little.

"Well don't think to hard. You have enough to worry about. Fara's good according to the doc so that should take one thing off your mind."

Sam smiled at the man. "I know John but I still have questions for her. The League contacted me this morning. They're pushing for information about the Pikachu Den. Since Jessica can't approach the pack I'm working with little intel and they aren't happy. I have a feeling the clans are sticking their nose into things."

John wrinkled his nose at the mention of the clans. "The stuck ups know? I thought the Rangers were supposed to keep this on the down low?"

Walking out of the elevator Sam paused in the hallway. A quick look told him it was empty.

"They probably have some spies in the Ranger Corp. The clans always have insider information. Now that they know about the stones they are probably pushing for control of the area."

He looked at John. "They're dangerous when they want to be John. I need information and soon. If I can get enough evidence I'll be able to make the area into a protected zone but I don't have that now. That's why I need to speak to Fara. The Pikachu let her into the den and while she may not know it the fact is no one has done that before. She saw things that I need to document for the League so we can turn that area into a protected habitat."

Rubbing a hand over her face John nodded at the Professor. Mrs. Packard who had been silent finally spoke up.

"You said the clans can be dangerous Professor. Will they hurt Fara?"

Oak shook his head vehemently. "No, that's one thing they won't do. I made sure that all information related to her person was classified. The clans only know a trainer was hurt. They don't know her name, age or even gender. The League has put all that information in lock down. If nothing else the League is protective of trainers. Not to mention the backlash that the clans would face if they tried something."

Mrs. Packard's tense features relaxed at that. "Thank you. I don't want Fara hurt. "

The woman then gestured towards the nursing station at the halls end. "Let's focus on Fara right now. I want to see her. We can talk about everything else later."

Nodding the men joined the woman in walking to the room. Upon reaching it they were greeted by quiet laughter. Fara was sitting up in her bed with Pichu and Poocheyena. Her starter was on his perch watching the trio interact. Fara was rubbing the canine's belly with the help of Pichu.

The pup was groaning in joy and his leg twitched periodically. Seeing the glowing smile on Fara's face relieved Oak of all worry. She looked well now that she was awake and nothing likes the pale silent form from before.

Clearing his throat he brought Fara's attention to her visitors.

Fara was packing. It had been two days since she had regained consciousness and the doctors felt she could be released. Her time at the hospital had been filled with testing and queries from Professor Oak. He, John, and Mrs. Packard had been frequent visitors.

Now she was headed for the Pokemon Center for an extended stay. Fara had been informed that the Ranger's would be paying for it along with the entire medical bill. She had been pleased to learn that her lost profits were being reimbursed as well. The news had been a welcome relief. With the funds and a free Center stay she would be set for the next few weeks.

Fara had even promised to work with John during in that time frame. The physical labor would help her in getting rehabilitated for the journey. Not to mention the man had promised some free training lessons for Pidgey.

Training, now that was one thing she was going to go all out on. Her brush with danger had awoken a desire for betterment. No longer would she put herself in danger without backup. Her painful lesson had taught her how vulnerable she really was. The gentle scolding she had received from all of her visitor's had helped further that desire.

Mrs. Packard's teary greeting two days ago had shamed Fara. Hurting the gentle woman was the last thing she wanted. So she would focus and work harder with her team. Huffing she closed her bag and looked to her team.

Like usual the two mammals were resting on the bed watching her. Pidgey was on his usual perch as well. Smiling she ran a gentle hand over Pichu's back.

"It's time to go. We'll be going to the Pokemon Center. After we get there all of you are going to have a physical."

With that she reached for her pokeballs and returned her companions. Taking a last look to verify she had all of her stuff she reached to lift her bag. A larger hand beat her to it and she screeched in surprise. Looking behind her she saw John standing near her with a smirk.

"Did you have to give me a heart attack?"

John smirked at her. "Well now you have a clue about how we felt when you got hurt."

Fara frowned at him. "You don't have to keep rubbing it in. I know I was stupid to listen to the Ranger. I am going to be more careful. So please stop."

A hand ruffled her hair. "Sure but you're still going through boot camp kid. I obviously failed in getting you ready. Consider the next three weeks your punishment. I'm not going to be soft on you like before."

The statement froze Fara in her tracks and kept John from leaving the room.

"Easy? You call what I did before easy?"

A maniacal grin spread across the man's face. "Oh yeah, no more baby training; by the time we are done you will hate me with every fiber of your being."

Terror shot up her spine. Her time with John had been difficult. Exhaustion had claimed her on numerous occasions. She couldn't imagine harder training.

Said man suddenly shoved her forward. "Move it. We need to get your stuff to the center and your pokemon checked out. If we don't hurry you'll be late in feeding the pokemon at the Aviary. You do remember what happens when you're late there right?"

Fara bolted down the hall towards the elevator. She remembered what tardiness caused. Memories of sharp beaks and dodging aerial assaults flooded her. Never again. It had taken six months for the birds to forgive her and she couldn't deal with that catastrophe waiting to happen again.

In short order she was checked out and outside racing to the Pokemon Center. Her mentor followed closely and she tried to ignore the sadistic chuckles he made. Fortunately, there wasn't a line to the nurse's desk and Fara was checked in quickly. While her pokemon were taken to their physicals she and John put her baggage into the rented room and unpacked.

Upon a suggestion from John she switched her clothing to lighter attire; a long sleeved white shirt, brown cargo pants and her hiking boots. Once done with that she tied her hair up and wrapped it in her usual gray bandanna. Her wild brown curls were usually a tempting target to the younger residents of the aviary and a bandanna prevented their curiosity.

An overhead announcement told her the pokemon were done so she and John went to get them. Afterwards they made the trek towards his residence. While walking she was informed that her duties over the next few weeks would consist of cleaning nesting areas, prepping food, and helping John give his pokemon exercise. In addition she would be getting personal training to up her physical capabilities. The nasty smirk wore when he said that chilled her to the bone.

Later, Fara realized she had been right to worry. Her weakened state had made her chores take that much longer. Since it was dark, she had figured she would be done for the night. She was wrong.

John had been busy while she worked and had created an obstacle course that was barely visible in the setting sun light. There were several lanterns strategically placed but they provided little visibility. Turning towards her mentor she was faced with a almost demonic visage.

"Now that you've completed your chores we're going to play a little game. I call it Dodge."

Hesitantly Fara spoke. "Dodge?"

"Yes, Dodge. You see you are going to learn how to run from danger. The obstacle course is a reenactment of different escape routes that you may be forced to use in the wild. You will be hunted by my pokemon and some others that my fellow breeder colleagues were gracious enough to send on loan."

At that statement Rhapsody, the Pidgeot, a large Noctowl, a vicious looking Houndoom, and an abnormally large Persian entered the clearing. John gestured to the pokemon.

"All of these pokemon are going to hunt you while you run. You need to use the environment in front of you to dodge their attacks. Some of them like Houndoom and Persian will track you on the ground while the bird pokemon will attack from above. There are tunnels, barricades, brush barriers and trees in the obstacle course. There are even artificial ponds and a small stream. While the pokemon are expected to attack you physically and with their attacks; they won't do it in a way to permanently harm you."

Fara stumbled back a step as sweat beaded her brow. Terror was flooding her.

"Now its time to go over the rules; first you are forbidden from using your pokemon."

Fara grimaced as the weak hope she had shattered at that rule. John ignored her expression and continued.

"Next you have fifteen minutes to reach the other end of the course. If you fail within that time frame you start over and will continue to do so until you succeed. After you pass you can go home. But be aware that I don't care how little sleep you get. You will be back by six am every morning no matter how tired you are. Understood?"

Slowly she nodded her head in acceptance. John clapped his hands together cheerfully.

"Excellent. Now you have a three minute head start. By the way, it started a minute ago so you only have two minutes. I'd get going."

Frantically Fara darted off into the course. A startled yelp told John she'd fallen into one of the tunnels.

Looking over to the waiting pokemon he nodded towards the course.

"Go get her but be careful like we discussed."

In an instant the pokemon were off, leaving the man who frowned into the distance. Sighing he turned towards his cottage. Alone no one heard his whispered "Good Luck."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 11: Gotowe

Desperately trying to quiet her panting, Fara lay huddled beneath the dense underbrush. She slowly moved her head in order to get a good look around her. Previous experience had taught her slow steady movements were less likely to attract her foes attention. All the while she listened while she looked. So far she was unable to see or hear anything out of the ordinary. Holding in the violent shivers she continued to scan her surrounding.

She was soaked and muddied from the artificial river. Her clothing was torn and her body covered in scraps and gashes. Most of all she was exhausted. John's 'Dodge' game was beyond difficult. For ten nights she had been hunted and caught by the superior predators time and again until John gave them the red light. This usually gave Fara less then two hours of sleep a night. However she was getting closer to her goal.

Fara had learned how to hide her scent from the Houndoom and Persian by slinking through the muddy waters. Her ability to hold her breath in said waters had increased as well. This helped disguise herself from the bird's keen night vision. Situational awareness had gone up as well.

Fara had never felt as close to her instincts as she did these days. She had learned to listen to the silences that foreshadowed a predator's presence. The faint breezes above that signaled her feathery opponents. All of this knowledge had been hard earned. Again and again she had raced through this course and not once had she succeeded.

Tonight was going to be different. So far she had dodged the land predators and the usual signs of their presence were missing. Pidgeot was in the area though. The full moon had given away her ghostly presence away. Noctowl was still missing and she was worried about that. The bird was her toughest opponent with his psychic awareness and night vision.

The full moon also put her at a disadvantage. It was unusually bright out and Fara was sure to stand out if she ventured in the open. This is why she lay in the brush. She needed to spot Noctowl so she could strategize to get around him. Her new internal alarm told Fara that she had less then six minutes to get to the finish line. She was feeling the pressure.

So she looked and listened. Her sleep addled gaze had difficulty seeing into the nights shadows even with the bright moon but she kept looking. Just as she felt like giving up she saw a shadow move. Slowly moving her head to focus on the area she waited and watched the dense brush of an ancient Maple tree.

Suddenly she spotted him. Noctowl was on a heavy limb behind leaves. His head was swiveling to and fro looking for her. Grinning Fara slowly reached over to an almost invisible string that was beside her. Rather than relying on luck Fara had decided to use some tools to assure victory. The string ran out side of the bush about fifteen feet to the waters edge before going along it. It then ran just above the surface to the end of the artificial river and back up the bank again. It was connected to a small stick that held up a few stones. It wasn't an architectural master piece but it would do the job of distracting the owl pokemon. Pulling it would cause the stones to fall in the river; making enough noise and movement to prompt investigation.

Holding her breath Fara quietly moved to the edge of the brush, just where a small opening was. Once there she gripped the string tightly and tugged. A quiet plop sounded behind Fara and she watched as Noctowl focused on the sound before taking off towards it. Just as the bird passed to about 30 feet behind her Fara bolted.

Unfortunately her speedy exit had made enough noise to catch the owl's attention. He turned and started towards her. Ignoring that, Fara focused on her oncoming destination 20 feet in front of her. Panting she pushed her legs as hard as she could but before she got there she was forced to drop as Persian jumped at her. Cursing she grimaced as her hard drop torn skin and jarred her roughly.

However she didn't stay down. With practiced ease she rolled and got back on her feet before running again. Persian whose leap had taken him past Fara turned as well and started for her. Lungs screaming and heart pounding Fara ran. Again she was forced to dodge at the last minute as Noctowl came in at her. This time it was the bird that got smacked into the ground.

His attention had been so focused on Fara that he failed to notice Persian leaping at the same time. A resounding crash sounded as the pokemon tumbled to the ground. Fara just ran and suddenly she was there. She was past the finish line. Gasping she fell to the ground and rolled to her back. Gulping in air she just panted.

As her breathing settled she couldn't help but giggle. It had taken ten days and countless attempts but she had beaten the predators. It was while she was still on the ground that John arrived. Obviously tired, he squinted at the giggling child before clearing his throat to get her attention.

Fara looked over and smiled at the man.

"I did it."

A smile lit the stern man's face.

"You did. Now go home and come back at six. We'll talk about what's next then."

He reached a hand out and helped the trainer up from the ground. With effort, she started to walk back to the center. Unable to resist John patted the passing girl's head causing her to stop and stare.

"You did good Fara. I really didn't expect you to succeed so quickly."

Fara swallowed thickly and turned her head away. Tears were burning at the corners of her eyes. Trying to shake it off she started towards the road.

"Thanks John."

The man just smiled at her back as she walked away. After a minute he looked over to the Houndoom.

"Watch her back will you? I'll have some food ready when you get back."

The large canine nodded at the Breeder and disappeared into the shadows after Fara.

It was just after dawn the next day, at six, when Fara reached the Aviary. She was still exhausted and sore but couldn't help but feel excited. Being able to complete the obstacle course and receiving praise from John had given her a sense of contentment. Even Nurse Joy's fussy attention to her injuries that morning had done nothing to dampen her spirit.

Smiling she entered the small cottage. The smell of coffee was prevalent and told Fara that her mentor was still in the kitchen. Reaching the room quickly she was greeted by her mentor's sour face hovering over his cup of coffee. Stifling a giggle that would surely provoke the sleepy man, she sat the table after getting herself a cup of coffee herself.

When she sat down John finally looked up and grunted a greeting. Knowing it best to wait, Fara contented herself on drinking her beverage and looking around until John became coherent. The kitchen was a medium size filled with warm oak cabinetry. Stainless steel appliances and light gray walls that complemented the design. A glass door led to a porch with sturdy perches for John's avian pokemon to roost.

A closer examination of the kitchen brought the borrowed Persian and Houndoom sleeping on large cushions. A quick look told Fara that Noctowl was probably in the main Aviary building where John's pokemon slept. Sleepily, Fara turned her attention back to her coffee and tried to stay awake.

Ten minutes later John cleared his throat and Fara looked to him.

"We're going to change the pace of things today. I won't need you to do the obstacle course or as many chores. We have eleven days to train your pokemon and you. After that you will be going back to Pallet Town to speak to the Professor about a few things."

Fara frowned. "What does the Professor need me for?"

Snorting John looked at the trainer with amusement.

"You forgot about those Thunder Stones didn't you?"

Those words hit the trainer like a lightening bolt. By Arceus, Fara had forgotten. The events leading to the accident were still fussy for the trainer. Stunned she just stared at the Breeder.

John startled to chuckle and Fara struggled to speak. Taking pity on the girl John spoke.

"Professor Oak took your Thunder stones to his lab after you were admitted to the hospital. He didn't want you to worry about them being stolen or lost. He's on that expedition in Viridian right now but will be back to his lab in a week or so. He wants to talk to you about what you want to do with the stones."

"Do?" Fara asked dazedly.

"Yes do. Like sell or keep them. You have a Pichu so I'm sure keeping one would be the smart thing to do but selling the other one may be a good idea. You'd get enough money to fund your next year of traveling at least."

Looking at John Fara tried to do the math. A year of traveling, if done frugally, cost between 5 and 15 thousand poke dollars depending on the trainer. Things like the quantity and physiology of pokemon one had, amount of time camping verses staying in rented rooms, and supplies could make that total vary. This wasn't even factoring specialty supplies such as clothing, pokemon potions and premium camping gear. Curious Fara spoke.

"How much is a Thunder stone actually worth?"

John's became pensive.

"From what Professor Oak told me a premium stone like the ones you were given is worth about 25,000 poke dollars."

Fara almost swallowed her tongue in shock.

"You're kidding right?" she said.

"Afraid not kid; there's a high demand and low supply for Thunder Stones in the market. The Clan's only put 12 out this year for sale, at least in Kanto. There are some more in the other Regions but the cost goes up with international taxes and transportation costs."

John face hardened. "Fara I need you to understand how dangerous your knowledge of the Pikachu den is right now. You can't say anything about having a stone at all. There are people out there that would kill to have control of a Elemental Stone reservoir like the one at the den. Never speak of it unless you are given explicit permission from Oak."

Swallowing Fara nodded her head. John relaxed.

"Good, now we need to talk about the training schedule."

Nodding at the man Fara waited and listened.

Ten days later Fara was sweating as she ran along the path of Viridian City's perimeter. Poocheyena and Pichu ran at her side while all three followed the fearsome Houndoom John had on loan.

Part one of Fara's training consisted on stamina building. Along with her mammalian pokemon she wore small weights and jogged every morning for five miles. Slowing down and stopping was prevented by the lead canine's Ember attacks. While they never hit the rest, the sight of them proved enough motivation to speed up.

It was exhausting to Fara and her pokemon. All of them were unused to the long distance runs but John had told Fara it would help them all in the long run. It would help Fara rebuild her lost muscle tone and wear out her energetic companions.

Once done with the run they would go back to the Aviary and run a new obstacle course. This one was similar to the one Fara had used in Dodge. The difference was that it was designed to help train her pokemon how to maneuver in various terrains. This would help them build strength and teach them to move their bodies in different ways and use their environment to their advantage. John said it would help with future pokemon battles tremendously.

While Fara, Pichu, and Poocheyena sweated in these activities Pidgey joined his mother and others in John's flock for morning flights. Rhapsody, while a sweet pokemon, was a powerhouse who trained religiously. Pidgey struggled to keep up with his mother's slower pace through the forest and skies. Pidgey, like the others, was forced to improve his agility and reflexes while doing fast flights through densely wooded areas.

On top of it his mother and other flock members would randomly attack the small bird in an effort to raise his situational awareness. John wanted Pidgey to be the central guardian to Fara and her group. His keen gaze, breeding, and fierce loyalty already made him an optimal protector but John wanted him to go above and beyond. Fara had agreed after an intense discussion.

After these morning exercises were completed for all of them the individual training began. Fara was put to a desk and forced to study in depth about her pokemon and their species capabilities. Theoretical battle discussions with John were often a central part of these study sessions. He had also started focusing on help Fara out together a potential team for her to train. She now had some ideas on what pokemon to capture in the future but left those plans open. Since she was till undecided on a career keeping her options open was a necessity.

Poocheyena spent this time with Houndoom. The pup was still young and the female Houndoom was giving him tough love lessons he would've been given with a pack. Things like nipping and jumping were viscously discouraged by the Fire/Dark type. Houndoom also took the infant on small hunting excursions where he learned the basics of tracking prey. While still inexperienced in hunting he had quickly picked up tracking and even learned, to Fara's joy, Order Sleuth in the process.

Pichu didn't have a pokemon of similar species to mentor under. Compared to the other two pokemon he was older and more experienced. His agility was high, something common with his species, and he was able to use Tail Whip and Charm. He was even able to keep himself from shorting out and shocking others as often as other Pichu might. John, who had struggled to design a plan, had been surprised when Persian became the mouse's mentor.

While different species, Persian was able to do electric attacks; something that Pichu lacked. His control in preventing short outs didn't mean he could use it offensively yet and Persian helped in resolving that. The big cat patiently taught him to externalize his electric energy in to a Thunder Shock attack. In addition Persian would playfully hunt the mouse pokemon. Pichu was rather traumatized by these 'playful assaults'. He often was twitchy in the cat's presence and Fara silently wondered if he would ever recover his nerve. However, his situational awareness went up tremendously and he remained unharmed so Fara let the cat's mentorship continue.

Finally, Pidgey spent his time expanding his move pool. His Peck and Tackle were as good as they could be with his conditioning and size so his mother focused on other abilities. Quick attack was progressing quickly so they also focused on the ability, Tailwind. This attack was a specialty for those of Rhapsody's line. While other flying pokemon could use the skill, Rhapsody had mastered it to such a degree that instead of just increasing her speed, she was capable of slowing down opponents. In addition her mastery of the wind gave her almost unmatched maneuverability in the air.

John often gloated that her skill was what got him to the top eight despite the tough odds he faced. Fara had been excited to learn Pidgey was learning that from Rhapsody. John was stingy with his tips and letting other flying pokemon mentor with his Ace. Pidgey was proving to be his mother's son and had started to use the move. However, it would take years of training and physiological development for him to master it like his mother. Though once mastered, John stated learning moves like Twister and Hurricane would be easier. Wind control was a necessity in these attacks.

The rest of the day was spent helping John doing the evening feed and swimming. Fara loved the water and she patiently taught Pichu and Poocheyena to swim with her. Her pokemon soon picked up her love and the three would spend afternoons playing with each other as Pidgey watched close by. The swimming became an important bonding time for Fara and her pokemon.

Now as Fara followed the Houndoom for her last of training she couldn't help but feel excited. While not where she was physically before the attack she was much better. Her pokemon had grown as well. She could see confidence in their movements and they had all settled into a family group. Pidgey had softened to their new companions and the group dynamics had settled.

Pidgey was the Guardian. Always vigilant, he kept watch and warned Fara of any dangers. Poocheyena was still quite the baby but he had calmed down and, like Pidgey, kept a close eye out for dangers. He had also become Fara's teddy bear at night; sleeping in her arms or cuddling at every chance. Pichu was the little helper. He often tried to help Fara with chores and other activities like shopping. Their companionship and devotion had given Fara a closeness that was unmatched to her other relationships. That love made her content and more confident then ever.

Smiling, Fara trudged along. She was ready to start her journey again.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 12: Ewoluowak

Yawning, Fara leaned back into the Jeep seat. It was just after five am and she was on the road to Pallet Town. John was driving Fara to the Professor's lab for her meeting. The Professor had called the afternoon before and let Fara know that he would need to see her by six am due to other engagements he was obligated to attend to. Seeing as it would've taken Fara all night to get there on time the Professor had asked John to drive her.

It was bright out despite the time of day. Seeing as it was nearing June, Fara was unsurprised. The summer heat was building more with each passing day. Days were getting longer and starting earlier. The road they were on had changed since Fara's last visit. The recent rains had caused an explosion of new greenery. The brush and grass was choking the dusty road and Fara figured that the maintenance crews would be up soon to beautify the area.

With the progression of the season the time for the Indigo League Tournament was fast approaching. Soon prospective challengers would migrate to the area to start their final training before the tournament soon. Being a Viridian native had given Fara the chance to see these trainers arrive and prepare. Just the day before Fara had seen surplus items at the poke mart when shopping.

While the Indigo League didn't start until the end of July it was common to see people arrive in May and June. They would usually bunk out in Viridian Poke Center and the other local inns and spend the time before the tournament tweaking pokemon skills and battle scenarios. The poke mart needed to be stocked with extra everything. Pokemon items and potions, supplements, and boosters sold quickly during this time of year.

Fara could remember helping out shop keepers with stocking shelves and simple chores. From the start of the day until the end these businesses would be packed with trainers and their pokemon. It had been fascinating to watch and Fara had gotten in trouble on more than one occasion for paying more attention to foreign pokemon then her work.

Shifting her gaze to the road ahead Fara grinned. Those days had been fun and she could feel the familiar excitement this time of year brought. A squeak on her lap made her look down.

Pichu was sitting on her lap and watching the passing scenery. It was his first car ride and his countenance was bright with awe as he watched. Giggling lightly she rubbed her fingers under his jaw. He melted at the touch and looked at her with adoration. Fara had discovered during her studies that Pichu and their evolutions had highly sensitive faces. The electrical sacks in their cheeks needed regular massages to keep them pliable for optimal electrical production.

The electrical stimuli from these sacks caused a heightened sensitivity in the pokemon's faces and made gentle caresses like the one Fara was using highly pleasurable. Since that discovery Fara often teased her pokemon with these pets when he got too distracted. It was a wonderful way of mitigating his mischievous thoughts and at the same time bonding with him.

Slowly she stopped her motions and Pichu, after pouting, returned his attention to the surroundings. He was her only pokemon outside of the ball at this time. Poocheyena was just too large for the small jeep and Pidgey disliked vehicles. Oddly enough he got motion sickness so car rides were a no go.

Looking at the road she realized that they were close to the town. Sitting straighter she patiently waited for their arrival.

Sam Oak sighed and stretched in his office chair. He was on his third cup of coffee and it was only 5:30am. Sleep had been a rare commodity in recent weeks. His expedition to Viridian had been fascinating and, thanks to the tireless efforts of his research partners and assistants, successful. He had received the final word that the Den was to become a protected habitat. A slightly dark grin lit up his face. The Clans had been furious to find out they weren't allowed to even be near the Thunder Stone Reservoir. Sticking it to those snobs had given Sam a vindictive pleasure.

Snorting at his thoughts he looked up at the sound of a knock. Veronica, one of his oldest colleagues, was waiting at the door. Grey streaked her auburn hair and exhaustion lined her blue eyes. She had been up as much as him during the expedition.

"Professor?" she said.

"Yes Ronnie?" he grinned at her.

Glaring at the man she huffed. "I'm sorry, Sam?"

"Yea Veronica?" his grin widened at her correction.

"Fara Knight and John Davis are in the lab." She said

"Oh" he exclaimed in surprise. Glancing at the clock he realized his guests were earlier then expected.

"Bring them here would you? I'm going to grab the Stones from the safe." He stated.

Nodding at the man, Veronica left without a word.

Getting up, Sam went down the hall to the secured room in his lab. After doing the retinal and fingerprint scan for access he entered. It was similar to lab except for the lack of lab equipment. Steel walls and cabinetry were affixed with locks. Rare and precious items, classified research material, and even valuable pokemon were kept here. Navigating to the other side of the room he again used a finger print scanner to open a steel lined drawer. A black box containing Fara's stones was nestled in it.

Taking it out, he made his way back top the office. Fara and John were seated in it with drinks in their hands. They were perkier then he expected but he took that as a positive thing.

John looked up at his approach. "Hello Professor"

Smiling he held his hand out. "Hello John, Fara. I trust the trip over was pleasant."

The young trainer smiled at him and shook his hand after John.

"It was nice Professor, the day's going to beautiful. Pichu had fun driving in the car too." She stated excitedly.

Smiling Oak made his way to his chair and placed the box on the desk.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now why don't we get started? It's going to be a busy day for all of us."

Fara frowned at the statement. An edge of caution wound it's way her spine at the jovial tone. She had been expecting a meeting but she still wasn't sure of what it would entail besides talking about the Thunder Stones. The Professor saying she would be busy made her cautiously curious.

Focusing on the man she started at his focused gaze. She been caught thinking instead of paying attention again.

Oak sighed a little and placed his hand on the black box he brought in. "Fara, as you know, I took the stones here after you went to the hospital. I wanted to talk to you about what you might want to do with them." He said.

Fara spoke quietly. "John told me that keeping one for Pichu would be a good idea and even though it will take a long time before he'll be ready for it, I agree. As for the other stone I'm not sure what to do. John said I could sell it but I'm not sure how to do it."

At her silence Oak spoke. "Well, I agree with the idea of saving one for Pichu. It's an excellent opportunity for him and when you think it's time we'll discuss evolving him. As for the other stone selling it would be an amazing fiscal opportunity for you. However, we have an issue."

Fara, curious, spoke. "Why would selling the stone be an issue?"

The man frowned heavily and looked at John. "Did you tell her anything about the situation John?" he asked.

John shook his head. "No, I felt it best if we left the discussion until now. You have more information then I do and I didn't want to scare her." He said.

Oak nodded and turned his attention to her.

"Fara, how much do you know about what happened after you went to the hospital? I mean with the Den." He asked.

"I know you went on an expedition and that you said all the information I gave you was important to the League." She said.

He nodded at her. "That's true but the reason why everything was important was because of the Thunder Stone Reservoir you discovered by accident. As you know Elemental Stone's are a rare and valuable commodity that's sale of is controlled by the Clan's exclusively. There hasn't been a new Reservoir like the one you found in at least 100 years. When it became knowledge that someone had found one the Clan's tried to seize control."

He paused and let that information sink in before continuing. "Now, the reason I did an expedition was to procure the necessary information to prove that the Den should become a protected habitat. If I hadn't the pokemon would have been driven from the area. Thank fully, I was able to prove to the League that such a thing would decimate the Pikachu population. However, neither the League nor the Clan does know a trainer was able to get Thunder Stones from the Den. Due to the nature and protection of the pokemon the exact location of the Den has become classified."

He paused again.

"Selling a Thunder Stone on the market would put a target on your back saying I know where the Den is. As much as I hate to say it, you're a cast off and the likelihood of you inheriting such a rare item is outrageous. This could cause you trouble with poachers and other trainers who think it would be a good idea to steal a stone. I'm worried what someone might try to do to you to get that information." He stated.

Fara pondered this. Ignoring the sting that came from his frank remark about her origins, she considered what he told her. She didn't know what kind of trouble the Professor meant but she did understand that what she knew was now classified information.

"So should I just keep the Stone Professor?" she asked.

He smiled at her and shook his head. "You don't have to Fara. Selling the Stone on the market would be a poor decision but I didn't say anything about private sales."

Fara frowned at him. "Private sales?" she questioned.

"Yes, private sales are different in the way that there is no third party handling the sale process. You and the buyer would discuss prices and payment. I was able to find a buyer for the Stone. Due to the nature of the situation the Stone won't be advertised as for sale and the only ones who will know will be the buyer and us." He said.

"You trust this buyer?" John questioned.

Oak nodded his head firmly. "Yes, the buyer is Lt. Surge of the Vermillion Gym." He replied.

John smiled. "Old Surge huh, I can understand the trust now."

Fara looked between them. "A gym leader?" she questioned.

Oak smiled at the child. "Yes, Surge has been looking for a Thunder Stone for a few months now. He has an Eevee he wants to evolve. He asked me to keep an eye out for a private dealer last year. While you wouldn't get a top market value he does have a deal I feel you would like a lot. Plus you won't have the concerns I spoke of earlier." He stated.

John interrupted the man. "What kind of deal are we talking about?"

Oak frowned at John and the man flushed. "Sorry Professor."

"It's quite alright John but this is between me and Fara so please keep the interruptions to a minimum." He stated.

Oak look at Fara and continued. "Surge is willing to pay you 12,000 poke dollars and pay for you to get two pokemon from top Breeders he does business with. He said you would have to wait a year for the pokemon but considering what he's offering I doubt you would mind the wait." He said brightly.

"What kind of pokemon?" Fara asked.

Oak grinned. "You would get two Eevee's. They would be from separate breeding centers. In addition they would be of different genders and you would get partial registration papers to allow personal breeding."

Fara just about choked. While not spectacularly rare these days, Eevee were hard to come by in the wild. Most trainers went through Breeders to acquire them. The evolution diversity of the pokemon made them valuable and popular. They were usually priced from 5-10 thousand a piece and Breeders rarely sold trainers new Eevee from a different gene pool. Breeding these pokemon was a lucrative and highly respected position. Being given the opportunity for any kind of breeding was an amazing offer.

"Was he smoking something when he gave you that offer?" Fara flushed when she realized she spoke that statement out loud.

Oak just started laughing. John was quick to follow suit and Fara sat between them blushing. Mrs. Packard would have rinsed her mouth out with soap if she had heard that. After a moment the laughter and Oak started speaking.

"No, he wasn't, what was it? Smoking something. His offer was actually smaller in the beginning but after he heard where the Stone came from he upped it. You have to understand that Surge has an immense respect for electric pokemon, especially those of the Raichu line. His primary partner is a Raichu that saved his life during the war. The fact a wild Raichu gifted you the Stones gave you his respect. What was it he said?"

Oak pondered for a moment then smiled. "Yes, it was some thing like 'if a kid has the grit to walk into a Raichu den and come out bearing gifts then she must have guts.' Surge likes people with a strong strength of character and 'guts' as he calls it. Being respected enough by a Raichu to get gifts gave him an even more glowing review of your character." He stated.

Fara's flush deepened. She hadn't done anything special in her mind. Just gave a Pikachu a bandanna. Such praise from a stranger was embarrassing. She looked back at the Professor.

"Can I ask what personal breeding means? I know being able to breed Eevee's at all is amazing but I'm curious about those criteria." She said.

"Of course, personal breeding means that you will be allowed to breed your Eevees for personal use but will not be allowed to sell your Eevee kits without both Master Breeder's permission. If you do get that permission you will have to give a portion of the profit to the Breeders. Please remember that if you try to sell or even give away the kits without permission you will be fined and all of the kits and parents will be returned to the Master breeders. I suggest that, if you take the deal, you read up on the Breeding Laws carefully. There's a reason it takes trainee Breeder's years to get their mastery and not all of it is about the pokemon. The League is very careful and strict with Breeding."

After Oak stopped speaking Fara stared at her hands. On one hand this sounded like an amazing deal but now, after hearing the Professor speak, she had a feeling that this would be a huge responsibility. Like most kids, Fara had dreamed about having an Eevee and more than one of their evolutions. I mean, who didn't. Their playful nature and evolution capabilities gave trainers of every field opportunity.

It sounded like there would be many regulations to follow if she decided to breed the Eevees and Fara was still unsure about her future. Would the Eevee's even help with whatever career path she chose?

On the other hand this was an unusual opportunity. Most trainers didn't have anything to do with Breeding unless it was their set career path. This experience might be what she needed for the future. This chance made a favorite phrase of Mrs. Packard's come to mind. "Take the opportunity life gives you with two hands. You never know where it will lead you."

Fara took a deep, cleansing breath, and looked back at the Professor.

"I'll do it. I mean, I'm still not sure about the Breeding but just being able to have an Eevee, let alone two, would be awesome."

Oak just nodded his head and smiled. John patted her shoulder and smirked at her.

"Smart choice kid." He said

Oak chuckled. "Right you are John. Now let's go over how we're going to handle this.

She was going to puke. Fara was on her knees, outside a large building that read Vermillion Gym, in the grass with an Alakazam next to her. Breathing in slow deep breaths, Fara struggled to keep her breakfast in.

Professor Oak had decided, after calling and confirming with Lt. Surge, that the sale and delivery would be settled that day. Instead of an armed ground transport, something Fara found out was common, Oak had decided to go the stealth route. Seeing as Fara, John, Oak, and Surge were the only ones that knew about the sale he figured a teleportation delivery was best. The Alakazam, another of Oak's original six, had been volunteered.

The fox like creature was tall for his species and very quiet. After Fara had said her goodbyes, Alakazam had teleported both of them to the Gym. The problem was that Fara's stomach didn't agree with the transport method. She had read that some people suffered nausea from the teleportation but hadn't realized how severe it could be.

Unfortunately, she lost the battle and was reacquainted with breakfast. Her vomiting continued for some time and it was only when she felt a hand on her arm that she realized there was someone close by. Shuddering, she looked to her left and saw a tall, muscular blond with dog tags squatting next to her.

The man held out a handkerchief and Fara took it. Her stomach was settling but still sensitive and she hesitated in any fast movements. A rough chuckle left the man.

"Is it your first time teleporting?" he asked

Fara nodded minutely and the man began rubbing her arm. Still sick Fara let him.

"Well, considering how bad you look, I'm going to recommend you avoid it in the future. I'd also avoid Psychic pokemon as well." The stranger said.

Swallowing thickly Fara replied. "I'm sorry but who are you?" she asked. Her voice was defensive and she subtly tried to get the man's hand off her shoulder. Friendly or not, she didn't like strangers touching her without permission.

The man removed his hand and laughed. "Sorry kid. I didn't mean to bug you but you looked like you needed a hand. The name Surge and if I'm right you must be Fara, right?"

Hesitantly, she nodded. "I am. I guess the professor told you how I was coming by."

Surge nodded and stood up. He also reached a hand out and Fara took the offered help. When she got up she almost fell. Her head had swum at the movement. Again, Surge reached out but this time to hold her from falling.

"Yeah, kid. He did but I don't think Oak realized how bad you would feel at teleportation. Let's get you inside and seated with a cool drink. I'll call Oak and let him know you made it while you get your bearings." He stated.

Nodding dumbly, Fara stumbled into the Gym with the man's help. He led her down the hall to a large Oak door at the end. Inside was a small dining kitchen area. Surge helped her to an old grey sofa and then got her a glass of ice water.

"Kid?" he asked.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I'm going down the hall to video Sam. I'm sure he knows you're here because that Alakazam zipped away but I'm going to let him know you're safe."

Fara just nodded and sipped at her water. Her tender stomach twitched at its cool arrival but quickly settled. Grateful, she sipped some more at slow intervals. The cool air of the Gym and water was helping. After ten minutes of this, Surge returned. He nodded at her and sat in a chair across from her.

"Sam wants you to call him after we're done. He said you should go to the Poke center and get checked out. That amount of illness from teleportation is uncommon and both of us think your probably psychic sensitive." He stated.

Fara frowned. "What's psychic sensitivity?" She asked.

Surge smiled. "It's kind of like an allergy. Some people have a small difference in their brain waves from other humans. It's not even noticeable until they interact with psychic pokemon. Do you know anything about psychic pokemon?" he asked.

Fara shook her head. "Not much. They're a little more uncommon then most pokemon species and pretty weak against dark types." She replied.

Surge nodded at her. "Well what most people who interact with them find out is that psychics like to link their minds up with people or pokemon around them. People don't usually notice anything other than a heightened awareness of the psychic pokemon's presence. However, people who have the sensitivity due to their type of brainwaves, tend to get sick and/or feel pain when those psychic energies try to mesh with their minds. Even things like teleportation causes a sensitive a lot of trouble." He paused then continued.

"With how sick you got I think you might be one. That's why you should get tested. You'll need to avoid psychic pokemon if you are and it is a medical concern so your records with need an update. It'll keep medical personnel from using psychic pokemon on you in needed treatment that may involve them. On the plus side you will probably have a great relationship with Dark types. For some reason, Dark types like Psychic sensitive people." He finished with a chuckle.

Fara smiled at the statement and thought about Poocheyena. Maybe that's why the pup had been so attracted to her in the beginning. Shaking herself from that train of thought Fara spoke again.

"Ill do that. Now Professor Oak said that you wanted the Stone?" she asked.

Surge turned serious at the topic. "Yes, I do. My Eevee is ready to evolve and oak said you got one from a Raichu." The man leaned forward in interest.

"Can you tell me about him?" he asked.

"Him?" Fara replied in question.

Surges eyes glimmered. "Yes, him, the wild Raichu. I love Raichu and I'm curious in how a wild Raichu differs from a captured one." His tone was reverent.

Swallowing Fara nodded slowly. The Professor had told her that Surge was allowed to know details. The man was a Raichu expert and had helped the Professor in securing the Den's protected status.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

Surge glowed and reached into his cargo pants. He pulled out a poke ball and released the pokemon from it. When the form materialized into a Raichu Fara flew back into the couch cushion in fear. Her eyes clouded in memory. She was on the ground and then there was pain, fear, and then white. The images repeated over and over. A voice and hand gripping hers brought her out of the memory. Surge was in front of her kneeling and looked apologetic.

"Are you with me Fara?" he asked.

Confused, Fara nodded. The man reached out and laid his hand on her head. "You scared me there kid. Your white as a sheet and you wouldn't snap out of it." He said.

Fara frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." She said.

Surge shook his head. "I'm sorry kid, you were attacked by a Raichu and I just pulled one out in front of you with no warning. You look like you had a flash back." He said.

Fara looked at him in question. "Flash back?" she asked

Surge sighed and sat in the chair again. "Sometimes when a person has a traumatic experience they can have flashbacks when confronted with a situation or object that reminds them of the traumatic event. They get stuck with memories of the experience. It's a common symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I suffered from it for a while after the war. Still have flash backs and dreams every know and then." He said.

"I should have realized that you might have issues with Raichu but I was too excited." He sighed deeply.

Fara smiled at him. "It's okay. I didn't know that something like that could happen. I have bad dreams sometimes but I don't really remember the attack too much. The doctors thought it might be a result of the seizure I had after the attack." She said.

Looking around she spotted a lightening bolt shape behind Surges chair.

"You can have Raichu come out. I just was startled. I have a Pichu I want to evolve eventually. I can't stay scared of Raichu forever." She stated.

Surge frowned at her but nodded. "Okay but the instant you feel uncomfortable let me know."

Fara nodded then hesitated. Some trepidation was filling her. "Can I have Pichu come out?" she asked.

Surge nodded. "Of course, anything you need to feel safe, do it." He replied.

Fara quickly released Pichu. The ragged ear creature perked up and jumped into Fara's lap before facing the Gym Leader. Said Gym Leader was smiling softly at Pichu.

"Well look at that. You have a little scrapper." He said gently.

"Scrapper?" Fara asked.

Surge looked at her. "It's the ear. Most wild Pichu don't have scars and that looks like he got a bite from a Pikachu. Probably was being pushy and got bitten for his troubles. It's pretty common for alpha type Pichu and Pikachu to have scars. Discipline can be strict in a Pikachu pack." He stated.

Fara looked at Pichu in contemplation. "I thought it was a predator." She said.

The gym leader shook his head. "No, I recognize the bite marks. Got a couple scares like that from Raichu when he was a Pikachu. No your Pichu got in trouble with one of the Pikachu."

Fara, surprised at the information, caressed the back of Pichu's ragged ear. Pichu chirred and rubbed his face against her hand. The noise, though soft, brought the Raichu from behind the chair.

His nose twitched and eyes gleamed in curiosity at the Pichu that had come into his territory. He hopped forward to investigate only to be stopped by the blonde.

"Hold it buddy. The girls still skittish wait for her to let you close." Stated the man.

Fara watched this interaction in silence. The Raichu before her was different then the one in Viridian. His fur was black and orange verses the charcoal and orange she was familiar with. The Raichu in front of her had duller fur as well. Another thing different was his size. While both Raichu were muscular this one was shorter and less bulky. He had less scars as well. These differences seemed to calm Fara.

Fara spoke. "Your Raichu is smaller." Surge looked up at her as she spoke.

"Smaller?" He asked.

"Yeah, his fur is darker too. I think the Raichu in Viridian was older. His fur was more charcoal then black and he had more scars. He terrified me actually. I could feel the power rolling off him." Fara said.

Surges face was filled with wonder. He then laughed out loud.

"How about that buddy, you're still small!" He rubbed a hand down the Raichu's back.

The pokemon tilted his head in puzzlement. Surge ignored him and started speaking.

"I thought Raichu was the biggest of his kind. He stopped growing a few years back and hasn't had a challenge in months. I figured he'd reached his peak." The man looked back down at Raichu.

"Looks like he still has a way to go." He looked back at Fara.

"Did you see anything else different?" he asked.

Fara looked at Raichu. The pokemon held still for the examination.

"His fur isn't as shiny" Fara replied.

Surge sat back and ran a hand across his jaw thoughtfully. He was quiet for a minute but then started speaking.

"Diet" he said.

"Huh?" Fara replied.

"My Raichu isn't getting the nutrients he needs. The amount of gloss in a pokemon's fur is a good indication of the nutrients they're getting. It sounds like that the Raichu in Viridian is eating better food. I might have to go down to Viridian soon. My Raichu eats a Breeders special formula but it's obviously not perfect." He said.

Fara, curious, replied. "I thought Breeder's formulas were the best."

Surge returned her curious gaze. "Most of the time they are but Breeders are constantly changing formulas. We, as a society, still don't know everything about pokemon or their habits. With this information, I can talk to Emily, Raichu's food maker, and see about adjusting the food. She'll want to know too."

He paused. "Anyhow let's talk about the Stone."

An hour later Fara and Lt. Surge were in the battle ground arena. Surge had been kind enough to let Fara watch his Eevee evolve. It was an exciting prospect to the young trainer. Her teachers had talked about pokemon evolution but she hadn't seen it in person. It tended to be a deeply personal experience for trainers and their pokemon. Being invited to watch was an honor.

Surges Eevee sat at his feet. His brown and cream fur was glossy and his demeanor was far more serious than what Fara had seen in the past from other Eevee. But seeing as his trainer was retired military it was probably expected. A disciplined man like Surge probably demanded control from his pokemon.

Raichu was off to the side with Pichu. They were playing. They had hit it off while their trainers discussed business. It had warmed Fara's heart to see the admiration in Pichu's eyes. The little mouse got along with Fara's other pokemon but she could tell he was lonely at times. He was used to a large pack environment and the smaller group he was in now was quite different.

Fara's attention was focused on Surge. He was holding the bag that contained the Thunder Stone. He reached into the bag and pulled it out. The stone glowed softly in the dark arena. Eevee, whom Fara found out was called Strike, stood and stared at the stone in awe.

Surge knelt down and rubbed the Eevee's head. "We got it Strike, are you ready?" The man's tone was soft.

Strike lifted a paw towards his trainer's outstretched hand containing the stone. Fara's breath caught as he touched it. A silvery glow swiftly covered the pokemon. Strike form grew and change changed quickly. It was beautiful. Then the glow faded and where the Eevee once was now a Jolteon stood. Brown and cream was replaced with spiky yellow and white.

Surge smiled and rubbed the pokemon's neck. "How are you feeling bud?"

Strike lunged and frantically licked the man's face. Surge was laughing and struggled to restrain the pokemon. Raichu bolted over to examine his teammate's new form. Strike retreated from Surge and allowed Raichu to examine him more closely.

After a minute of this Surge got up and smiled at Fara. "Thanks kid. Strikes been wanting to evolve for months.

Fara smiled. "No, thank you. It's the first time I've gotten to see a pokemon evolve. It was amazing." She said.

Surge shook his head at her. "Let's agree to disagree. It's the least I could have done. Right Strike? The Jolteon shouted an excited 'Jolt' that made everyone grin.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 13: przyszłości

Stretching, Fara stifled a yawn as she walked with Lt. Surge. They were on their way to the Pokemon Center. Surge was going to have Strike examined for any issues caused by the evolution. Fara, in the meantime, would be getting tested for Psychic Sensitivity. She inwardly grumbled about it. She was sick and tired of being poked and prodded by well meaning doctors. She kept her silence though. The Gym Leader had been oddly serious when explaining the condition and she didn't want to ignore a potential problem.

Looking at the man beside her Fara wondered. John had indicated Surge was a grumpy old man with a temper. She couldn't see it herself. While stern looking, he was gentle with his pokemon and kind to her. Transferring her gaze to their surroundings Fara smiled. Vermillion was larger then Viridian and busier. The sea port located at the harbor bustled with people coming to and fro. She could see one of the many cruise ships that visited in the distance.

The multitude of shops and cafes seemed to beckon. Fara was already planning how to spend some of the funds she got for the Thunder Stone. A throat clearing brought her attention back to Surge.

"So, I'm curious kid." He said

"About what?" she asked.

"Oak told me that you weren't a battler so I wondered what you planned on doing in the future."

Fara sighed. "I'm not sure. I'm not interested in Leagues or Contests. I started berry picking so that I could earn some money for traveling. But now that I have some funds in my savings I'm thinking about where to go. I want to see what's out there." She stated.

Surge looked at her for a moment before speaking again.

"What kind of things do you like to do?" He asked.

Fara contemplated the question. It was the first time that she could remember being asked that. After a few quiet minutes she replied.

"I like traveling and learning survival skills. I like reading to I guess."

"Hmm, did you like berry picking?" he asked.

"Well, I guess. It was fun learning about them and searching to find them." She replied.

Surge smiled. "Hey kid, have you ever heard about Scavenging?"

"Scavenging?" she asked.

"Guess you haven't huh. Well I'm not too surprised. It's something only people involved with the Poke Market would've heard about."

Surge walked in silence for another minute before stopping. Startled Fara almost ran into him because the abruptness. Surge was looking into a small store to his right. The bricked building had a sign that read 'Earl's Poke Item inquiries'. The Gym Leader gestured to the entrance.

"Let's go inside, I want you to meet someone." He stated

Curious, Fara followed him in. Instantly Fara felt the cool relief of air conditioning. The interior of the store was brightly lit with rows of oak shelving. The shelves had glass cases containing various items. Passing through their way threw one area towards the back; Fara could see everything from strange Poke balls to Fossils. Obviously this place wasn't a normal Poke Mart. Looking ahead to where Surge stopped she saw a heavy wood counter with an old fashioned cash register. The wall behind it was filled with flyers.

Fara came to the counter and waited while Surge pressed a bell. He did this so repeatedly until a scratchy voice yell from a back room.

"Hold your Rapidashes; I'll be out in a minute!"

Surge grinned and nodded his head towards the voice. "That's old Earl, he's been around forever."

"I should have known." sniped Earl's voice. Turning Fara was confronted with a giant of a man. He was close to seven feet tall and had a wild mane of silver hair. His black eyes glittered at Fara and Surge.

"What do you want Surge? I thought you didn't need a Thunder Stone anymore." griped the man.

Fara watched as he walked around them to stand behind the counter. His larger callused hands were wiping themselves off with the heavy duty apron the man wore.

"Are you still sore that I didn't wait on you and your crew?" Surge replied.

Earl frowned at Surge. "If I am what will you do? My James was just finishing negotiations when you canceled on us. I should kick you out just for that. The clans are assholes and you know it!" Earl stated.

Fara jumped at the volume and walked back a few steps. The movement caused Old Earl's gaze to shift. His stormy gaze softened suddenly.

"Now who is this little filly?" the man asked.

Surge grinned and patted Fara's shoulder. "This is the little Scavenger that beat you out on selling me a Thunder Stone." Surge proudly stated.

Fara's heart leapt to her throat. Why in the name of Arceus did Surge say that? The information was classified and Fara didn't want the large man in front of her to get pissed about selling to Surge before him. Her panicked gaze shifted to the Gym Leader who grinned at her. Suddenly Fara understood some of John's grumbling about sadists.

"This little filly got you a Thunder Stone before my James?" asked Old Earl.

Surge nodded at the man. "Oh yeah and fresh from the source to; you remember me telling you about a wild Raichu right?"

Earl leaned on the counter and frowned at Surge. "Yeah so. It's a Raichu." Stated Earl.

Surge shook his head at him. "It wasn't just a Raichu Earl. This kid was given a Thunder Stone from the Raichu. There's a reservoir in the Den." Stated Surge.

Earl stared at Surge then looked at Fara. "He telling the truth sweet thing?" he asked.

Shaking a bit Fara nodded and spoke. "He is but Professor Oak said not to say anything." She replied.

Abruptly Old Earl threw a punch and hit Surge. The Gym Leader fell back to the floor. Fara panicked and bolted to the opposite wall.

"Dang nabbit you fool!" Earl yelled. He then went to the store entrance and locked the doors and shuttered the blinds. He then stalked back towards Surge only to pick him up and smack his head again.

"How stupid are you to state classified information like that out loud! If Oak said that silence was needed you should have kept your trap shut!' Earl thundered.

Surge grimaced and rubbed his head. "You didn't have to hit that hard old man. I just thought it was best to get the story out." He stated.

"Better for who? The filly? All you're doing is giving her trouble. You know as well as I do what kind of people are out there. All you're doing is painting a target on her back!" Earl roared.

"I wasn't telling you for shits and giggles Earl! I'm trying to get you a recruit." Surge stated.

Earl stilled and stared. "Recruit?" he asked.

"Yes, recruit. I know you've been looking for a new person for a while now. Fara there doesn't have anything better to do so I thought I'd introduce you two." Stated Surge.

Earl turned his gaze to Fara and grimaced a little. It was obvious how scared she was. "Filly? You don't need to be scared. I won't hurt you." He said.

Fara stayed still and stared at the two men. But, eventually, stood taller and relaxed slightly. She stayed away though. Earl sighed a little and walked behind the counter. He looked over to Surge and then back at Fara.

"Why did you bring her? You know full well that I don't take on females. The jobs too dangerous for them." Said Earl

Surge shook his head. "Are you still stating that sexist crap Earl? I thought you knew better than that."

Earl just sighed and looked back at Fara. "Filly, come on over. You might as well know why this idiot dragged you in for."

Fara, now calmer, joined the men at the counter.

"Now filly, do you know what a Scavenger is?" asked Earl.

Fara shook her head. "No, but I'm guessing it has to do with pokemon items and retrieval." She replied. She looked around to the items on the shelves.

Earl chuckled and nodded at her. "Well, you're smart. I'll give you that. You're right for the most part. Scavengers are the people responsible for acquiring poke items for the market. Some items are harder to get than others so the market puts out requests for acquisition. My crew will find and/or transport items to the place of sale." Earl stated.

He waited for her to absorb the information and then continued.

"Items like evolution stones, fossils, and rare berries can't be found just anywhere. My business involves training a group of people in getting these items. Scavengers need to be able to travel to areas with little to no human habitation and survive without help. It's not uncommon for them to do things like deep sea diving or spends months at a time in the wilds in search of their marks. Besides the inherent risks these activities have there are the other issues. Poacher's and criminal elements have been known to interfere with Scavengers in pursuit of the same items. More than one person had lost limbs or has been scarred for life. Fact is' I've lost some good people in this work." Earl said.

Obviously, Earl was trying to scare her off and a normal trainer might've been. However, Fara was more interested then scared. Earlier, when talking to Surge, Fara had told him her two joys, traveling and survival training. There was just something about being forced to rely on your own wits to survive in the wilds that attracted Fara. Being able to travel when doing the same thing was just a bonus in her mind.

She thrived in the wilds and could see herself exploring them in search of some mystery object. Fara turned her gaze to Earl.

"So you mean to tell me that Scavengers are trainers that travel the world to wilds few ever see, are forced to fight for survival with no one but their pokemon on their side, and are paid for it?" she asked.

Earl's frown smoothed in relief and he smiled at Fara. The girl obviously understood how dangerous the job was. She'd run off like most other people and then he could teach that idiot Surge a lesson about stupid ideas.

Fara beamed at him. "Where do I sign up?" she asked with an impish grin.

Panting, Fara darted into the Pokemon Center. It was late in the evening and she'd missed her appointment with Nurse Joy. She needed to call the Professor before she got in trouble. Surge had been quite insistent when he'd realized how late it was.

Grinning, Fara reached a video phone and dialed the familiar number. Within moments a Lab Assistant transferred her to the Professor's private line. He actually looked quite angry to Fara. Her grin faded just a little.

"Do you know what time it is Fara?" asked Oak.

Glancing at the clock close by her she replied.

"6:53?"

"It is but that must be wrong because I'm sure we agreed this morning that you would call me by 4, correct?"

She winced. Professor Oak's tone was ice cold and features grim. Quickly she spoke.

"I'm sorry! I just got caught up at Earl's. It took me forever to get him to make me a Scavenger and then Lt. Surge wanted to go out and eat to celebrate. Then Earl made me go through my gear with him because he said I needed a lot of things for training and then…"

Oak interrupted her frantic babbling.

"Stop! What's this about Scavenging and who is Earl?"

Fara froze slightly. The professor seemed confused and mad now. 'Stupid stupid Fara. You just had to start babbling again.' She said to herself. It was an old habit that cropped up when being scolded by authority figures. She cleared her throat and toke a deep breath like her councilor had taught her.

"After Lt. Surge evolved his Eevee we stopped at a store called Earl's Poke Item Inquiries. He thought that I'd like to learn about Scavenging since I didn't like battling. Earl owns the store and trains Scavengers to do their job and they help him get rare pokemon items." Fara paused and Oak took the opportunity to speak.

"You said something about convincing Earl? Does that mean you actually signed up for the job?" he asked.

She nodded hesitantly. Oak reached up and pinched his nose and closed his eyes. He took several breaths then looked at her again.

"Surge was then one who took you over to Earl's and recommended you?" he asked

Again Fara nodded her head. This time the Professor ran both hands through his hair, disheveling it.

"Fara, I'm going to call you in the morning. I need to talk to Lt. Surge. I want you to stay at the Center and get you examination done. Do not leave until I call you. Understand?"

"Yes Professor" she replied

The man nodded shortly and then the screen blanked. Fara stared at it for a moment before going heading to the front desk to check in for the night. She was still a little shocked from the Professor's anger. Shame filled her too. Professor Oak had been nothing but kind to her and she'd failed to do something so simple.

Fara had really been caught up in the excitement earlier. Learning about Scavengers had lit a fire in her soul. Sure it sounded dangerous but she'd come to face reality on the dangers of a Pokemon Journey already. The incident in Viridian had taught her that things happened in even the most peaceful of situations. Her training with John had just enforced her desire to better herself in future.

After she had finally gotten old Earl to let her join his crew he had spent the better part of an hour explaining the kind of training that Fara would be facing. To be frank it would be brutal. In fact, Surge had said Earl's survival training had been adopted by the military twenty years before. The failure rate was high and often serious injuries occurred during it. This, in part, was why Earl rarely employed women. The failure rate was much higher for them. Stamina was a necessary part in survival and it was a sad fact that most women didn't have the amount needed for Earl's training.

Fara was determined to succeed though. Survival training had always been her strong suit and she wanted to be challenged further. It would help her bond with her pokemon more as well. The training would involve them extensively. Earl had been clear on several points.

One she and her team would need to pass exhausting team evaluations. For Scavengers their only support was usually their pokemon team. It was a dangerous career field and few wanted to bother with it. So a Scavenger's team was the key to success. Her bonds with her pokemon could be the difference between life and death.

Next Earl had said that a Scavenger's team was chosen to suit their profession. Pokemon who could track, transport, and defend the Scavenger's team were given priority to catch. Fara had been pleased to find her current team matched the criteria perfectly. All three had the potential; Poocheyena with tracking, Pidgey with transport, and Pichu as defense. Earl had told her she was off to a great start but that her team would need an increase in numbers.

It was expected for her to have at least 18 pokemon by the end of her training. Scavengers, at least those that worked for Earl, were expected to have three rotating teams of six. This allowed for a variety of skills sets and prevented the pokemon from being overworked. It also helped fill in gaps if a pokemon was injured.

Fara herself would be going through training in order to get a series in certifications that would be useful for her profession. She would be expected to get a diving certification, pilot's license, and EMT certification (Human and Pokemon) to start with. Those and other additions would be expanded on as her training and career progressed.

She would also need to get a college degree as well. Earl felt that too many children ignored school in the pursuit of their Journey's so a degree was a requirement. Fortunately, Fara had at least a year to pick a path before she was reintroduced to the classroom.

All in all Fara was looking at six to eight years of education and training before she could officially call herself a Scavenger. It was daunting, the amount of work that she would need to put in for this career path but it was exciting too. She was finally able to see herself with a future other then aimless wandering.

It was after ten then next day when Fara left the examination room. Her head was pounding and she felt nauseous. Surge had been proven right, she had Psychic Sensitivity. A Hypno had been brought in to use a light probing. Her head had exploded in pain at the psychic energy's touch. Nurse Joy had been quick to stop the Hypno and give her a strong narcotic for her current migraine with orders to go to bed.

Fara hadn't argued; just took her meds and was now heading in her room to get some sleep. Groaning at a particularly sharp jolt of pain Fara leaned against the wall. As she waited for it to pass she was startled by a gentle brush of fur against her calf. Looking down she was surprised to see a fox like creature with six red tails. The pokemon was seated and stared at Fara with tilt of its head.

It took Fara a moment but she remembered what the pokemon was called; Vulpix. A fire type, canine, that was especially popular with trainers who participated in the Contest route. It was adorable and had potential to be a powerhouse upon its evolution. These pokemon were considered to have some of the longest life spans outside of Dragon types. They also had the potential for psychic capabilities so Fara was hesitant to stay around the pokemon. Her recent diagnosis and extreme migraine made her wary.

It was as she was getting ready to ignore the pokemon and get to her room that she was stopped by a loud voice.

"Donna! There you are." Spoke the voice.

Turning, Fara was greeted with the visage of a boy around her age with gray hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in dark slacks, white dress shirt and topped off with a black vest. He was cute. He was also headed her way. Moving from the wall she stepped away as the boy kneeled down to the Vulpix.

"What do you think you're doing, wandering off? You had me worried." Exclaimed the boy.

He looked over to Fara and smiled gently.

"I'm sorry, Donna wasn't bothering you, was she?" he asked.

Shaking her head Fara returned his smile. "No, I was just going to my room when I ran into her. She wasn't doing anything." She said.

Suddenly, she winced again. Another sharp pain had jolted her. This drew the boy's attention. He got up as Fara leaned against the wall for support. Donna, the Vulpix, also got up and stepped towards Fara. She stepped away from the pokemon. The boy caught sight of the movement.

"Hey, are you okay? Donna won't hurt you so don't worry. She's probably just worried about you. She doesn't like to see people or pokemon hurting." He stated

Fara shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not scared but I have a bad headache. I have Psychic Sensitivity and I wasn't sure if your pokemon had any capability with psychic energies yet." She apologized.

The boy frowned a little and laid a hand on her arm. "I'd ask what that was but you look like you need to see Nurse Joy. Let me help you to her." He said

Fara shook her head. "It's okay, I've already seen her. She gave me some medicine. I just need to go to bed and sleep for a little while."

Still frowning the boy nodded. "Okay but let me help you there. You don't look good." He stated

Sighing in defeat Fara nodded and let the boy take her arm in support. His Vulpix stayed back when he gestured towards it and then he walked with her back to the room she was staying in. It was a quick walk and Fara gave him quite thanks before closing the door.

She reached her bed after shutting the curtains. Her head was pounding less and the nausea was fading but exhaustion was replacing those feelings. Without changing or removing her shoes she lay down and was out in seconds.

Fara woke up with her head feeling like it was full of cotton wool. A slight dizziness was also apparent so it took her a while to get out of bed. The LED clock across from the bed stated it was after 2:00 pm. Slowly, she got up and tried to gather her thoughts.

The medication she had been given was powerful. The druggy aftereffects made thinking harder. Looking at the clock she remembered that the Professor was supposed to be calling her and she'd probably missed. Wincing at the thought of being late yet again, she got up and smoothed down her hair as she exited the room and headed to the lobby.

He would probably understand this time. The exam had caused a vicious migraine and the medication had knocked her out cold. Sighing she headed to the front desk. It would be best to see if she'd received any messages before calling.

Nurse Joy was accommodating; after a brief question session about she felt the Nurse had handed her a message from Professor Oak. To Fara's relief the messages' tone was kind. She was just asked to call after she'd woken up. Obviously Joy had explained the situation.

Smiling she reached a terminal and dialed the number. Within minutes she was connected to the Professor. In contrast to the night before his visage was kind and concerned.

"How are you feeling Fara? Nurse Joy told me that you tested positive for Psychic Sensitivity." He asked

Fara smiled at the man. "Better. I'm still a little fuzzy from the medication but I don't feel sick anymore." She replied.

"That's good to hear. I'm sorry that you got so sick from Gizmo's teleportation. I would have never recommended it had I known about your condition." He said

Fara shook her head. "It's okay, how was either of us supposed to know. Psychic pokemon aren't that common; finding out was bound to happen later rather than sooner. Nurse Joy explained to me that it's pretty uncommon so testing is rarely done." She stated.

"True. I guess its better you learned now anyway. Did she explain the precautions you will need to take?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm going to get a medical registration bracelet and she said you would be putting a capture restriction in my file in regards to Psychic pokemon. She said that I would be eligible to get a Psychic inhibitor from Silph Co. to prevent Psychic touches from making me ill too." She stated

"That's sounds about right. Nurse Joy is writing the order for the inhibitor. I'll co-sign it and send it to the Branch Office in Vermillion City. Seeing as this is for a medical condition you will be getting it free. There's a Grant that is used to cover the expenses." Stated Oak.

He shuffled in the screen and pulled out some paperwork.

"Now I want to talk to you about signing up for the Scavenging program with Earl McPherson." He said.

Fara nodded at the man. She'd realized that she'd upset the man with her choice of career yesterday evening. His reactions had made it obvious so she understood he needed to talk to her.

"First off I do want to congratulate you. I know of Earl and the difficulty of even getting a place in his training program. If you succeed it will be a wonderful opportunity. However, I hope you realize how intensive and dangerous this program will be." He paused.

His gaze was fierce and made Fara place close attention.

"The statistics of passing this are against you Fara. Out of the last 100 recruits only 15 were women and all but one of them failed the program. It's not only physically grueling but mentally as well. While I can see you passing the Survival Training I have difficulty in thinking you will pass the defense classes."

Fara winced at the brutal honesty.

"I need you to understand how difficult this is Fara. Scavengers are expected to have the skills approaching that of an ACE trainer. They face some of the most dangerous criminal elements and wild pokemon with little to no support with the exception of their pokemon. You will need to eliminate your anxiety towards battling completely and get strong enough to compete with tournament champions."

He let that statement sink in. Put in those words Fara suddenly felt a lot more nervous then expected. Battling was her weakness and the idea of becoming that strong with it was unbelievable.

"Fortunately for you I have a solution." Said Oak

Fara head shot up at the declaration. Oak was smiling at her grimly but Fara felt hope.

"I spoke to Surge last night. In response to his blatant disregard to keeping classified information secret I've given him an ultimatum. He's going to work with you on your battling skills. He is an ACE trainer and military veteran on top of being a Gym Leader. He'll get you up to snuff as long as you work hard." He stated.

Fara was quick to respond. "I'll do it Professor. Work hard I mean."

"I'm sure you will but it's going harder than you think. Lt. Surge is one of the hardest taskmasters in the Gym circuit. He's down right brutal when it comes to training and battling. However, if you can take it, I'm sure that you will be able to pass your program Defense courses." replied the Professor.

Fara stared at the man and then nodded. She was terrified at the idea of constant battling but if it was that important to this career she'd chosen then she would do it.

Twenty minutes later Fara hung up the phone and leaned back in the seat. The rest of her conversation with the Professor had been over paperwork and tests that she would need in preparation of her Scavenger training. The official Program start date wasn't until January of the next year but the time in between would be busy.

She would spend it working with Surge and traveling to capture potential pokemon. It was fortunate that part of the agreement Oak struck with Surge included free room and board at the Trainee barracks in his Gym. Most of her money was going too spent on traveling to fill the pokemon requirements, of which she needed at least nine before program start, and getting her supplies for the training program.

The fees associated with room and board, food, and education tuition would be covered by the Program. If she passed part of her salary would be put forward to pay off the debt left after what a government grant, which Oak was helping her get, didn't. Even with these options Fara was still responsible in acquiring her and her pokemon's training gear.

She needed an assortment of training clothes, guides, tools, and other miscellaneous equipment for herself. Fara would also be buying specialized pokemon nutrients, which included boosters and special berries, training weights, and various medicinal supplies.

Frankly, Fara needed another job. Earl had explained that she'd work as a part timer while undergoing training but the funds would be limited. A second part time job would be necessary if she wanted to get everything she needed and live in enough comfort to focus on her studies.

She sighed and got up. It wasn't even evening but she thought getting an early dinner would be best for her and her pokemon. She needed to explain what would be going on too. They were going to be working hard like her and she wanted their support.

After getting a meal from the cafeteria she sat down and released her pokemon. Quietly the four of them ate. Once done she explained what would be happening in the simplest terms. Pidgey, ever the battle hungry predator, was happy at the idea of extreme training and getting stronger. The other two were supportive but Fara believed Poocheyena just thought they would be playing, of which he was always ready for, and Pichu was just going with the flow.

It was while she talked to them that Fara heard an excited 'Vul' and her pokemon got spooked. Donna the Vulpix was running towards Fara and her pokemon. Firmly, Fara told her pokemon, to stand down from their defensive postures. They were still a little over protective of Fara and treated all strangers, pokemon and human, with suspision.

Donna stopped and then leaped only to land in Fara's lap. The vixen was unrepentant as she stared her nose down at the snarling Poocheyena. Another canine sniffing around his master was an unimaginable offense to the pup.

"Donna, get back here!" yelled a familiar voice.

Looking up, Fara spotted the boy who had helped her earlier. He'd changed to jeans and a black polo shirt. He spotted Donna on Fara's lap and seemed to sigh in exasperation. While he walked towards them Fara once again motioned for her team to stand down.

"I'm so sorry. I hadn't realized Donna had gotten away again. Um… I'm sorry but what's your name? Mines Adam." Stated the boy.

Looking at Adam Fara sighed. "It's okay. My names Fara. Could you get your Vulpix off me though? I'm supposed to be avoiding any pokemon with Psychic potential and I don't want to set her off in any way." Asked Fara

The boy was quick to take the red fox off Fara's lap and cuddle her into his arms.

"I'm sorry. She doesn't understand. I talked with Nurse Joy earlier and she told me what Psychic Sensitivity was. I tried to tell Donna she should stay away but she has a habit of trying to help sick or injured people. She was worried." Replied Adam

"It's okay and I'm sure I'm overreacting but until I get my inhibitor I need to avoid any pokemon with Psychic tendencies. Your Vulpix is very cute though. I always thought they were some of the most beautiful pokemon species." Fara sighed at the sight of the beautiful pokemon.

She really loved Vulpix but with the medical condition she had she'd never be able to own one. Nurse Joy had been adamant that she never capture any pokemon that had psychic potential. Extended psychic energies could prove dangerous to people who had her condition. Even the inhibitor she was getting wouldn't help with long time exposure. It was just designed for temporary use only.

Adam was observant of her focused stare.

"You want a Vulpix huh? Are your sure you can't get one though? Donna's great and I think everyone should have a pokemon like her." Stated the boy.

"No, the inhibitor only allows temporary protection. Even if I wanted too Professor Oak has put a capture restriction in the system. If I catch any psychic pokemon they'll automatically be transferred to his custody and released" said Fara

"Well if you can't have a regular Vulpix have you thought about an Aloan one?" he asked

Fara frowned at him. "What's an Aloan Vulpix?" she asked.

The boy grinned. "It's an Ice and Fairy Type from Alola. Their pretty rare here in Kanto but they can be found in their home region. My grandma showed me a picture of one after she went on a vacation to Alola. It's not psychic so you if you went there you could probably get one." Adam exclaimed.

Fara was surprised and excited at the information. An Ice type had been recommended by Oak as one of her potential captures. The fact there was a Vulpix, one of her dream pokemon, which was an Ice Type, was exciting.

Adam returned Fara's excited grin. "Well I'll let you go. Donna and I have to do some training. We have our first Contest coming up." Exclaimed Adam

Donna barked an excited "Vul'. Adam then made a quick bow and excused himself. Fara just focused on her thoughts. A Vulpix, she could really get one. Nurse Joy had said that fairy types weren't restricted to her. They had similar sometimes even the same attacks as psychic pokemon but the fairy type energy nullified any psychic energies that may hurt people like Fara. In fact the inhibitor she was getting was based off Fairy pokemon. It emitted similar energy waves that negated psychic ones.

Grinning at her pokemon she spoke. "Well guys, I know our first capture expedition is going to be!" stated Fara.

 **A/N:**

 **Hey guys. This is going to be the last update for a month or so. Don't worry; I have no plans in abandoning this story. I just am in the process of replacing my computer and starting a new job.**

 **I have the next chapter planned out so keep an eye out. It'll be the start of Fara's prep for Scavenger training!**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter 14:

Yawning, Fara forced herself out of bed and shut the alarm off. The time read 2:30am and she couldn't help but grumble. For the last three weeks she had been staying at the Vermilion Gym dormitory and had started her battle training. Well, more like boot camp. Her usual wake up time these days was around 4:30am so as to start the pre-training workout.

Running, calisthenics, and stretching routines had been set up by Surge and usually took Fara and hour and half to complete. Of course her pokemon joined her as well with similar exercises. Afterwards she would eat a hearty breakfast, filled with protein (cause she was a skinny runt according to Surge), and take a brief shower.

The day would progress to tactics lectures hosted by the experienced apprentices at the Gym. These lessons would take anywhere from two to three hours and often included valuable information about team compositions, pokemon capabilities, trainer safety, and history. Seeing as she was apart of the Vermillion Gym now, Fara also trained with the apprentices in pokemon anatomy and first aid at the Pokemon Center.

Fara had been amazed to learn that Gym apprentices were expected to master field first aid as part of their training. The differences between what Fara had learned at the academy and now were apparent. As a potential trainer you learned how to use potion, antidotes, and other basic medical supplies to treat routine injuries until you were able to get a pokemon to the Poke Center.

As a Gym apprentice you learned to practice advanced emergency procedures; CPR, field surgery, intravenous injections, and much more. In retrospect it was understandable why such knowledge was necessary. Gym battles, in comparison to day to day battles, were intense and could involve extreme attacks and strategies designed to take opposing pokemon out quickly. An unexpected hyper beam, like many other attacks, could cause serious injury or death. So it was required for Gym Leaders to be able to stabilize a pokemon and/or a trainer for emergency healthcare.

The lectures on trainer safety were reinforced by Nurse Joy and other healthcare professionals Fara and the apprentices learned from. It was a fact that pokemon were much more durable than humans. This meant that attacks that damaged pokemon were often lethal to trainers. Situational awareness in any pokemon battle was necessary for a trainer. A moment of lost attention could lead to the trainer being hit by an opponents attack. They were taught how and where to position themselves in any battle situation. The physical training Fara was getting was incorporated in these lessons.

Fara had taken these lessons to heart. Her childhood experience with the weak Ember attack and the stray electric jolt from Raichu had left lasting impressions. A large benefit of these lessons had been Fara's confidence in battle training. Knowing where to and not to stand had given her a feeling of control that she had lacked at the academy. She was now more able to focus on necessary details during the battle and her skills had bettered as a result.

The rest of her days were filled with battle drills and self education. She usually spent her free time at the local library looking into pokemon and where to find them. She had to plan several trips to fill her training quota.

Shaking off her covers, Fara got out of bed. Today would be her flight to the Alola Region. Surge had been kind enough to let her leave on the pokemon acquisition journey she needed. However, this didn't mean morning training had been postponed. Her early awakening was so she could do the morning workout before leaving for the air port. She cursed Surge as she woke her grumpy pokemon. Sadistic jerk didn't give anyone a break.

A day later Fara was walking off a small airplane into the humid heat and sun. The island she was on was called Ula'Ula Island and, according to her research, one of the most sparsely populated islands in the Region. It boasted several extreme environments including a desert, jungles and frigid mountains tops. Fara's goal was one of the three mountain tops where the elusive Keokeo, otherwise known as the Alolan Vulpix, lived.

The Keokeo were not a rare species but did avoid humans. Oak had been kind enough to inform her that they liked to live in small family packs of two to five. Sometimes a Ninetails would be amongst the pack structure but it was uncommon to see the normally solitary creature in a group. The mountain tops were very cold and dangerous to people inexperienced in cold weather and mountain climbing skills.

Fara was going to go up with a mountain guide she'd hired with Surge's help. Kahua, the mountaineer, was experienced in tracking Keokeo and would help Fara find an appropriate pokemon. It was just after the baby Keokeo started to become independent so Kahua was sure they could find one that Fara and her pokemon could capture with little hassle.

Fara's go to pokemon, Dirk, her Poocheyena, would help her capture the Vulpix. Making her way through the airport Fara smiled in memory of how Poocheyena came to get his name.

It had been a week into her training when one of the Gym Apprentices named Chris had asked her about her pokemon's lack of names. He had been passionate in his explanation on why Fara rectify the situation. Naming was important in bonding with pokemon. It bred familiarity and kinship between a trainer and their partners. Of course, there were exceptions. Not all pokemon wanted a name but Chris had said it was better for Fara to give her team a choice.

Fara had agreed with the argument and had asked her team. They had been enthusiastic and Fara had spent a better part of a week to find her companions fitting names. Poocheyena had been easy. Fara had remembered a description from her text about Mightyena having sharp dirk-like teeth. Dirk had been thrilled at the tough nature of the name and had agreed.

Pichu had been just a little more difficult. Any electric variant names suggested by Gym members had been thrown out by the mouse pokemon. Fara had agreed. Electric names for electric pokemon were overdone in her opinion. It had been a habit that gave Pichu his name. Being a mouse type, Pichu loved to sleep in enclosed spaces with paper and cloth material for bedding. Fara had been watching Pichu shred an old dish cloth when his name came to her. With his approval, the pokemon had been named Shred.

Pidgey had been the easiest and hardest of the three. Like Pichu he had disliked names involving his abilities like flying. Fara had felt a name indicating protection or guardianship would be more apt considering his protective nature. Pidgey had agreed with the concept but had vetoed dozens of names. It had taken a week until Fara had come across the name. It meant to guard and protect. Pidgey had been visibly pleased with it and so had been named Warin.

Smiling Fara caressed the pokemon balls on her belt. Her team was becoming closer everyday. Looking around the exit of the airport Fara spotted a dusty jeep with a dark skin man holding a sign. Seeing her name Fara hurried over.

The man she walked towards was middle aged and smiling when he spotted her. His face was distinguished with fine laugh lines and a short goatee. He waved a greeting towards her and spoke.

"Alola, are you Fara Knight."

She nodded in reply and the man's smile widened. He walked forward and took Fara's baggage without asking.

"Welcome to Ula'Ula. I'm going to be taking you to the motel and then a tour first. We'll discuss arrangements for the expedition during dinner." He explained.

Finding the plan reasonable Fara nodded at him with a smile.

"That sounds good. I wanted to pick your brain about local pokemon anyway. I need to catch a few different pokemon while I'm here and Lt. Surge said you have a reputation for local pokemon lore."

Kahua hummed agreement and then, after both trainer and guide fastened themselves in the vehicle, spoke.

"You don't know what kind of pokemon you're looking for are you? We have many species and some are related to your Kanto pokemon like the Keokeo. It would help if I had an idea of what you're looking for.

Fara's brow furrowed in thought as they traveled out of the airport.

"I'm looking for pokemon good at defense, transport, and tracking. I also need to expand my type pool. I have an electric, dark, and flying type right now. Hopefully, I'll have an Ice and Fairy type when I look for the Vulpix. I can't have any pokemon with psychic potential at all though."

Fara rubbed her finger over the small silver ring pierced at the top of her right ear at the last statement. She'd had her inhibitor delivered to the Vermillion City Silph Co office last week. She'd chosen to have the earring design when going over options with Nurse Joy and Lt. Surge. It small size, location, and design insured the longest contact and least irritation. According to Surge it would also be less likely to be lost or damaged in her career path. The fact she could bath and sleep with it helped. Other than cleaning it regularly Fara had little reason to remove it.

Kahua cleared his throat and Fara glanced up startled. Seeing the man's grin Fara smiled back sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I get lost in my thoughts a lot. Let me know if it happens again."

Kahua chuckled.

"It's alright. I'm often left with nothing but my thoughts for company. It's easy to get lost in them. You might have to drag me from them as well." He stated

Fara giggled. She was starting to like Kahua. He had an easy going feeling about him and a warm smile.

"Now, as far as pokemon go I have to tell you that you picked the perfect place for transport pokemon. We Alolan's use them primarily for goods transportation between the islands. Even on Ula'Ula there are Ranches that specialize in breeding them. I have an acquaintance we can visit who works at one. I'll speak to her and ask about taking you down to visit. How does that sound?"

"Really Kahua? That'd be awesome. I was told I need at least two to four more transporters for my training. Being able to see different ones would help."

Kahua looked startled.

"Two to four transport pokemon? What kind of training needs so many?" he asked.

Fara glanced at him before turning her gaze to the rich vegetation around her.

"I'm training to be a Scavenger." She replied softly.

Kahua slammed down on the brakes and turned off the road in an abrupt stop. Fara completely unprepared was jerked roughly by the safety belt. Turning towards Kahua, confused, Fara's words froze at the look on his face. His face was grief stricken. He was starring at Fara in horror.

"Please tell me I misheard you child. Please tell me you didn't say you would be training to be a Scavenger." Kahua pleaded.

Swallowing roughly Fara just nodded. Kahua stared and then leaned his head against the stirring wheel. Silently, she watched as the older man sat and grasped the wheel in a punishing grip. It was a few moments before he took a deep breath and sat back up. His face was stoic but Fara saw sadness in his gaze as he looked back at her.

"I'm sorry child. It just startled me to know what you are training to be. That name brings back memories." He said quietly.

Without another word he started driving again and both sat in silence. Silence prevailed until they reached the edge of a small town close to a mountains base. Kahua broke it gently.

"Fara?" he asked.

She looked over at him.

"I am sorry if I scared you. As I said before the name Scavenger brings back memories." He paused then continued.

"I had a son once. He was born to my Mia and me when we were both very young. We called him Jason. He was willful and independent and became a Scavenger despite our worries. In Alola, the people often depend on Scavenger's to get specialized goods delivered. It is seen as an honor to become one." Again Kahua paused. He swallowed roughly but continued.

"Jason wanted to be seen as someone important and honorable. He was often teased as a child. We were quite poor back then and he suffered for our failures. So, he became one. He proved to be very good at it and earned a reputation as a top tier Scavenger."

Fara watched silently as the man stopped again. A small tear had escaped the stoic man's face as he parked in front of a large white building. Her throat felt thick as she listened. The quiet grief and words told Fara she wouldn't like this tale.

"When Jason was 20 he received a job to transport a few prism scales to the Sinnoh Region. These scales can be found in the water around the islands though are still very rare. It was the rareness that brought the attention of a poaching group. They were notorious for hunting Feebas and selling them on the black market."

Kahua folded his hands tightly on his lap. Fara saw, for the first time, anger on the kind mans face.

"We do not know how but this Poaching Group got wind of Jason's job. He was alone with only two pokemon to support him. He was told to bring only two in hopes this was to prevent any word getting out on the importance of his mission. Scavengers are often watched closely by spies. The level of their team usually signifies the importance of the objective. So, confident in the secrecy of the assignment and his pokemon's strength, Jason left."

Kahua's knuckles turned white from the intensity of his grip.

"Jason never came back to us. We only found what was left of his Lapras' body a month later. The police told us that, based on the decomposition and autopsy findings; she had been killed days within Jason's departure. There was evidence of pokemon attack damage that was responsible for her death."

Kahua turned to Fara and she forced a sob down. Her checks were wet with silent tears. The horror of the story and Kahua's grief racked her deeply.

"I tell you this because I hope you understand the hardship you face. Jason was arrogant and died because of his overconfidence. Scavengers die every day. Humans are a greedy lot. You may very well have to face the ones who care little for life." Kahua stated.

Fara bowed her head and knotted her shirt with her fingers. What could she say? She was a stranger to grief and the naked honesty of Kahua's story froze her to the core. A moment of silence passed before Fara felt a hand on her head. Looking up she saw a gentle smile on her guides face.

"I did not tell you this to grieve you child. I only tell you this so you may be careful in your endeavors. I do not want those who care for you to feel my grief. Do you understand?" he asked.

Fara slowly nodded and Kahua's smile deepened.

"Good. Now we should check you in. I will let you rest and return tomorrow. This afternoon has been heavy on both our hearts."

Fara wiped at her face and sat straighter. Getting out of the jeep and after grabbing her gear they entered the two story building. While smaller then other places she'd seen Fara felt it was more visually appealing. The white planks and large bay windows that covered the building hinted at an older style. Beautiful verandas spilled out the front of the motel. Patio tables and exotic plants filled them. It was gorgeous and Fara was sure, had she felt better, she would have spent more time admiring the sight.

After the view they stepped in and were greeted with the cool kiss of air conditioning. Fara was quick to check in and said goodbye to the Guide after hammering out a loose schedule for the following day.

Once in her room, Fara flopped on the bed. It was still relatively early but she felt rung out. After a few minutes she released her pokemon. After an inquiring look her pokemon settled themselves around their trainer. Warin found a perch on a desk chair while Dirk and Shred curled up with their trainer. It was comforting for Fara and she spent the next hour lazing with her friends before getting up. She wanted to call Surge and eat.

'A shower probably wouldn't be amiss', she thought, as she ran a hand through her sweat dried hair. While cool inside the outside humidity and heat had wreaked havoc with her curls. Sighing she unpacked her toiletries and used the shower adjoined to the room. Her mood slowly got better after Shred decided to join her in the shower and tried to help her wash her hair. The little mouse was fond of water and fascinated with her thick curls.

Fara had even been forced to return the pokemon a few times due to his insistence of releasing the mane from their ties to burrow in it. Endearing at first, it had become annoying after he tangled the already difficult locks into a bigger mess. Smiling, she expertly removed him from her shoulder and took over the task. Shred, at her feet, used the cascading water to wash him self after getting some shampoo from Fara.

Twenty minutes later Fara and Shred were dried off and ready to rejoin the world. She made her way to a terminal she had seen in the lobby. Warin stayed behind while the other two pokemon joined their trainer. Fara was quick to dial the Gym and waited until Chris could transfer her to Surge. Once the man appeared she greeted him. Surge picked up her quiet tone.

"So you heard about Kahua's son huh?" he stated

Startled Fara stared at the man before comprehension dawned on her.

"You picked him for me because of his son didn't you?" she replied

"I did. While it's cute how hard you're working Earl and I thought it'd be best if you got a taste of reality kid. You need to understand what you're getting into. Scavenging can be a fun and rewarding career but you didn't seem to understand the darker part of it. We don't want you to end up as a statistic." He stated.

Fara stayed silent. What could she say? She'd thought that the Raichu attack and her experiences made her understand. To be fair, they had to a degree. But the one side she hadn't seen was the face of someone who'd lost someone. It made her uncomfortable when her thoughts imagined the faces of John or Mrs. Packard if something happened to her. Surge spoke again.

"Fara, the reason Oak and I let you go on this trip was so you could think about your future seriously. You need to understand the dangers of this job. Talk to Kahua while you're there. The worst that could happen is that you get to explore a beautiful region and get a couple of pokemon. If you decide against becoming a Scavenger we'll support you but don't do it because you feel you have too now. Your training with me won't end and you could still go about your life. Earl wouldn't be upset if you dropped out now."

Fara felt hollow at the statement. It had felt like she had finally found her nitch but now Surge seemed to be telling her to stop. A small flicker of anger flowed through her. He'd been the one to get her started and now he wanted her to stop. It didn't make sense.

Surge spoke again. He must have seen the anger.

"Hey kid, I'm not saying you should quit."

Her head snapped up at the statement. He continued to speak.

"I want you to do this but only if you understand the consequences. I get ahead of myself sometimes and I feel like I started you on this without letting you know about what you'd be getting into."

He rubbed a hand against his face.

"You have spunk kid. I believe in you but I want you 100% okay with this choice before you continue. Just promise that you'll think about what I said while you're there."

A little confused Fara nodded.

"Great, now I wanted to let you know that I deposited the money you gave me for the plane and motel back into your account."

Stunned Fara asked. "Why'd you do that?"

"It was Earl's idea. You see, he wants to test you a little with a mini mission. He wants you to get him an order of tropical berries to be shipped back with you when you leave. A couple of Berry growers are looking to expanding and want some of the tropical fruit. Since you have a license Earl figured you could do this. He's paying for the basic expenses as compensation. The plane, room, and three meals a day along with the charges for the berries are covered. Anything extra is coming out of your pocket. That includes the gear, guide, and supplies you'll need for your pokemon expedition."

Shaking her head in wonder Fara asked a question.

"I know I have a License but that's only for Kanto. I can't pick Berries here."

Surge grinned.

"That's where you're wrong. Earl had Oak hook you up with an Alolan License. The requirements are the same as Kanto for the most part. I sent you a copy of the Regs with Earl's Berry list. Oak greased the wheels kid. You'll be fine. Earl changed your return flight to six weeks from now. That'll give you time to explore and do Earl's mission."

Fara shook her head with bemusement. 'Why did today have to be a roller coaster?' looking at the grinning blonde Fara huffed and spoke.

"Fine, it's good to know I'll have time to explore. Earl's order shouldn't to hard either. Just make sure Earl sends an authorized merchant signature." She stated.

Fara wasn't too worried about a Berry Order. Licensed people were able to buy Berry's in bulk if it was for merchant purposes, even if it was for a third party. The Merchant Signature would give her the authority.

"Good. I'll talk to you next week. Make sure to send a call out to Oak and Earl every week too." He demanded.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head in affirmation. Surge caught sight of the motion.

"Just for that kid, you'll add three miles of beach runs to your morning routine."

Jerking her gaze to the man in horror she watched his smile turn sadistic.

"Oh yeah kid and that's only the first week. I'll be giving you updated training schedules. You will battle at least three times a week and will go through an evaluation to determine if you followed with your fitness schedule. See ya!" he yelled.

The screen turned black and Fara glared at it. Her pokemon looked at each other and backed away from the sudden dark aura of their trainer. Pokemon or human, no one messed with angry women. Surge was insane.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The start of the next morning was just like the time spent at the gym with the exception of the scenery. Fara got up, changed into something for exercise, and dragged her pokemon out of the cool room to start her morning run. Her pokemon grumbled but soon shook off the sleep and started out with her.

The sun was just peeking out the horizon by the time Fara and her pokemon were two miles into their five mile run. Fara, despite the humidity, was enjoying the steady rhythm of the waves crashing against the beach. Running has gotten easier for the trainer in recent weeks. Her other exercises were making a difference as well. Stamina was at an all time high and her weight was starting to go up. The protein heavy diet Surge had put her on had helped her gain 5 pounds. It was a small weight to others but for Fara it was awesome. Her small figure and weight had always presented a problem to her. Smiling, Fara looked over to her pokemon to see how they were doing.

Warin was doing a series of barrel rolls over the nearby beach. It was beautiful and graceful how he flew the air now. Constant training had smoothed out all the rough edges and now his focus was increasing agility and strength. His attack pool had increased slightly as well. Besides tackle, peck, gust, and tail wind he had picked up two new attacks. The first had been quick attack. This versatile move was still a work in progress. Warin was able to land the attack when just attacking in a straight line but Fara was trying to get him to use it while performing aerial maneuvers. A tactic that would be essential in preventing counterattacks to the predictable linear movement. His progress was steady and at this point a matter of practice. Fara felt he would master the basics of the move within a few more weeks. His other attack was double team. So far the high speed illusion was slow to master.

Occasionally there would glimpses of one illusion but Warin still needed a lot of work. It was frustrating for the pokemon but Fara had been quick to point out that it wasn't his fault it was failing. Surge had told them both that the attack needed a certain amount of speed to create the illusion. This was something Warin would need to gain to get success with the technique. Time and practice was what the young pokemon needed. In this instance his young age and still developing body was working against him.

Shred, on the other hand was growing quickly. As the oldest, his development with his current evolutionary stage was mostly complete. He was larger than the average Pichu and starting to gain a control of his random electrical jolts. It was a sign he was close to evolving. The hard work he was putting towards his speed and agility as well as his close bond with Fara was jumpstarting the process according to Surge. By working his physical capabilities to the limit his body was being tricked into thinking it needed to evolve in order to survive a harsher environment. His friendship with Fara was the other factor. Pichu needed a close bond with packmates to evolve. Fara was his replacement for the family he left behind.

Shreds move pool was getting larger with his body. He currently knew thunder shock, charm, and tail whip. He was in the process increasing his speed and stamina to learn quick attack. He got the attack down 3 out of 5 times but needed more work. That was why he was running with specialised weights developed by Surge. Looking down at her friend Fara could but feel proud of the determined face.

Dirk was running on her opposite side. The puppy was still small and developing but like her other pokemon, improving. His stamina was beyond her and the other pokemon. These morning runs were often not enough so she was forced to get him specially designed resistance weights to challenge him further. In addition, his skill with odor sleuth was increasing daily. The tracking practice had gone from basic retrieval to adding levels of difficulties such as water, distance, and age of trail to make it harder. Soon she would be upping the difficulty again at the rate he was progressing.

As far as attacks went he had learned tackle and bite. Surge had warned her he would be stuck with bite as his only dark attack for another month or two. Reason being his body was developing the naturally occurring dark type energy. Pushing him too early to use dark attacks would damage his energy channels so he was stuck on the basics. So instead Fara was going to focus on teaching him quick attack and agility. Both attacks would be useful and easier to teach the pup because his natural physical capabilities.

Overall, Fara was pleased with the progress they were all making. Looking ahead she pushed herself faster. Progress was great but she needed to keep pushing herself. The next year, if she choose to continue this path, would be the start of a punishing career path.

Frowning, she thought back to Kahua and his story. Now that some time had passed she was more objective about the tale. Jason's end was a reminder of the danger she was facing. It was chilling to think that she might have to face situations like that. It wasn't the first example of pokemon training gone wrong she'd seen or heard. On the other hand Scavenging seemed like a rewarding opportunity that might give Fara what she had always craved; a place to belong.

As an orphan Fara had been always filled with the feeling of being unwanted. Unlike most orphans sent to her former Group home, Fara had been given away at a later age of four. She always felt like she had done something wrong to be abandoned by her mother.

Hands clenched, Fara picked up speed. Darla Knight had not given a reason when she dropped Fara off at a Fire Department. The memories of her mother leaving her had faded with time but the impact of the abandonment hadn't.

Fara had been filled with constant anxiety and abandonment issues that required years of therapy. She had been clingy of Mrs. Packard and often violent if those who took attention away from her. Dennis, the councilor, and Mrs. Packard had been patient though. They had given her a new outlook on life but still Fara felt out of place.

Traveling was an escape from that feeling. By finding her own place in the world she felt that she wouldn't feel out of place or unwanted anymore. Fara sighed and shook herself from the melancholic thoughts. She needed to focus and finish her morning routine.

/

Two hours later Fara dragged herself to the rented room in the hotel. She and her pokemon were drenched in sweat and breathing roughly. The combination of beach running and tropical humidity had almost killed Fara and her land based pokemon. It was vastly different from running on flat ground. Sighing, Fara shed her damp clothes and climbed into a cool shower to clean up. Dirk and Shred joined her and relaxed under the cool spray.

Washing her hair quickly Fara considered her schedule today. First up would be a hearty breakfast that Kahua would be joining her for. After that they would be going on a tour. Fara needed to rent her climbing gear for the Vulpix hunt. Kahua had also mentioned visiting a breeding center to look at different transport pokemon.

Finishing her shower, Fara quickly dried and dressed herself before leaving for the main lobby. It was nearing seven, the time Kahua had said to expect her.

Her pokemon were returned to their balls as she reached the lobby. Waiting in a chair was the mountaineer. He was quick to notice Fara's arrival and got up waving at her in greeting. After a short conversation they were off to a cafe for a hearty breakfast. Discussion over the day's events took place over fresh island fruit and protein heavy meats.

Kahua told her that they would wait on the gear rental for a few more days at least. A snow storm had hit the peaks the previous evening and it would take until tomorrow for the storm to dissipate. After that they would need to wait another day or two to get the all clear from the authorities. Kahua was adamant they wait. There were more than a few stories about stupid people being trapped and dying by bad weather or avalanches because they ignored the government's warnings.

Seeing as that activity was canceled Fara mentioned the Berry order that she needed to make. Fara had gotten her updated license and merchant authorization paperwork the night before and would need to visit berry farms to make purchases. Kahua was happy to help her with that as well.

After finishing breakfast the duo left the cafe for the west side of the island. A comfortable silence was disturbed by the sound wind created by the jeeps rapid speed. Kahua had been professional and made no mention of the previous afternoon's discussion. Still, Fara could see the faint color beneath Kahua's eyes, making obvious the lack of sleep he'd had.

Having taken his avoidance of the topic and physical condition into consideration Fara decided to focus on talking about the island in hopes of getting more understanding of the local pokemon species.

Wresting her gaze from the bewitching scenery, Fara began her inquiry. 'So I understand that many Kanto species are native but do you have any recommendations on other foreign and domestic species?' she asked.

Kahua looked at her from the corner of his eye with a soft smile.

'That would depend. I know we will be getting you companions suited for transport and you have that allergy so psychic varieties will be off the table. However I need to know any personal preferences from you first.' He stated.

Fara's brow furrowed in thought. Outside of Pidgey her recent pokemon captures were due to circumstance. Class studies hadn't given her a particular type desire and outside of psychic pokemon her preferences were open. Thinking back to one of Mrs. Packard's tricks she decided to make choices on necessity. She'd been taught to look at what she had, what she needed, and what means she had to afford things she needed. Even with the Thunder Stone giving her a monetary boost she had to be careful. Within a couple of years she'd be on her own in an apartment, going to school, training for her future career, and working at least part time. Time, money, and space were definetly going to be an issue.

'I don't want giant pokemon like Onix. I need to focus on small to moderate sized young pokemon. I don't have a lot experience as a trainer and more experienced pokemon might not be as forgiving for my fumbles in training.' She paused before continuing.

'That's not to say I will turn down an older partner but I really need to start with more easy going personalities. Especially with the heavy training, school, and work schedule I have to look forward to these next few years. I have experience with canine and avian types so those kinds are welcome.'

Fara shifted in her seat before continuing. 'I'll need a strong water type or two, preferably one that has deep sea capabilities. I've been through enough information on Scavengers to know that I want to focus on rare item recovery. A lot of rare water type items require deep water diving.'

Kahua gently interrupted. 'Have you ever considered an Octillery? They are found throughout the waters around here. They are deceptively strong and have no problems with deep sea environmental factors. They are also within your size range and adapt fairly well to land when needed.'

Fara grinned. 'That sounds perfect. Is there any special place or way to capture them?'

The man shook his head. 'No in fact the fishermen on the island often have to drive them away from their nets and baskets. They are an opportunistic hunter so all you would need to do is go on a fishing trip. The fisherman here would gladly take you abroad so you can capture one. You might even get the chance to see other pokemon that might catch your attention.' He stated with an impish grin.

Giggling lightly Fara nodded her head. 'I'll do that then. What about canine types? Dirk, my Poochyena, is training to be my main tracker but I need a couple more so he doesn't have all the responsibility.'

'Well, we have several canine types on the island. In fact my neighbor had a litter of Houndour pups a few months ago. Most have gone to homes but he still has two females. It is a small community and not many people wanted a pup. That species isn't as popular the native Rockruff's.'

Fara pulled out her pokedex and looked up Houndour. Quickly she was presented with a brief description and stats of the species. Being a dark/fire type they would probably get along with Dirk well. It would give her a fire type to add to the pool and they were known to be nocturnal. A plus if she was to have security at night.

'I'd have to meet them and their owner but they sound promising. What are Rockruff's?' She asked.

Kahua slowed the jeep, they were approaching a turn that led into thick jungle vegetation, then spoke.

'They are a Rock type canine species native to the islands. They are unusual like other several other Alola species in that they have two types of evolutions. A day and night form. They are a friendly, loyal, and highly active pokemon. There is always several pups ready to go to new homes and even a few at the adoption center.'

Fara interrupted him. 'There's an adoption center?' Her tone was excited. Why wouldn't it be. Adoption centers were important pokemon rehabilitation and rehoming centers. Abandoned, injured, and trouble pokemon were often sent there so they could be rehabilitated and adopted out to trainers and families.

Fara's class had done a working field trip to the Lavender City's small center. It hadn't had many pokemon but the work the center had been inspiring. Especially to Fara, whose own circumstances from her mother's abandonment gave her a more emotional insight to how those pokemon might feel.

Fara had made plans to revisit Lavender City so she might find a partner for her future career later but the news one was close by excited her. Adoption center sometimes had unusual species not native to the Region they were at. It might prove a very worthwhile visit if she went.

'The Adoption Center sounds great… I was going to visit one located in Lavender City. This is better though. I only have so much time to get the pokemon I require and with the additional time I need to spend here a place like this will help.'

Looking up to the man she continued. 'I would love to visit there sometime soon. Do they have potential adopters make appointments to visit like in Kanto? Do I need to fill out application for pre-approval?' Kahua smiled and shook his head. 'No, the islands are relatively small so the Center is not as formal. With the lack of pokemon league here trainers are usually in the area for vacation not pokemon acquisition. You will have to go through a basic background check and fill out an application if you plan to adopt but visiting can be done whenever they are open.'

'Good, can we plan a visit for tomorrow?' she asked.

'Of course, as for the water pokemon we should probably wait until after the expedition. I have a friend going out in a week and a half to do some deep water fishing. You will be able to find some interesting water pokemon in addition to the Octillery.' he stated.

The trainer smiled, 'Sounds good. So what about the Houndour pups? I don't want to wait to long. Depending on their age I will need to do a lot of pre training with them like I did with Dirk.'

Kahua raised a questioning brow, 'Pre-training?' Fara snorted. 'Yes pre-training. Meaning potty training and basic commands. Something I had a hard time doing with Dirk. Puppies are like babies and don't know what you or I know about bathroom etiquette and personal boundaries. Being predator species doesn't help either. Their development is slower than pokemon like Pidgey or Stantler. Dirk is very hyperactive. I had to learn from older trainers how to channel that energy as well as learn patience for myself. I have a bit of a temper so I was taught techniques to control it in general but especially during pokemon training.' Fara quieted and stared at the passing scenery.

'Nurse Jenny was very clear in the dangers of trainers letting their frustrations over rule their judgement. She even have a guest speaker come to one of my classes. His name was Eric Chang.' She paused and swallowed audibly. 'Eric was a strong pokemon trainer about ten years ago. Smart, motivated, and a top League contender. He actually managed to get ranked in the top 36 his first year training.'

Kahua whistled appreciatively, top 36 usually took two to three seasons to reach. Fara nodded in agreement. 'I know, amazing right? He was on the fast track but Eric had a problem. Three guesses what.'

Kahua replied, 'temper huh'?

'Bingo. He was impatient and pushed his pokemon hard. Don't get me wrong, he loved them but sometimes he let his frustrations bleed through during training.' stated Fara.

She shifted in her seat before continuing. 'He got lucky for a while. His team was like him but patient, for the most part. It wasn't until his second year training that his luck ran out. He told us he acquired a Teddiursa through trade. A little boy who had a lot of potential. His former trainer couldn't handle his tenacity and drive to get stronger and Eric had a Oddish he had caught that disliked violence. It seemed like a solid trade. Problem was Teddiursa had a temper too. Eric said Teddiursa was pushy and in response Eric was far more strict with the pokemon. When Teddiursa evolved one day Eric made the mistake of snapping at him for bad behavior.'

The girl smiled sadly. 'The Ursaring ripped his left arm off, took the ear and eye from the same side, and left substation scarring. Eric barely survived thanks to another trainer hearing the commotion and getting help. Eric said his Ursaring ended up being euthanized and he spent two months in a hospital recovering. A lot of that time was spent thinking about what went wrong and feeling guilty about Ursarings fate. He ended up going through counseling and finding his calling in Psychology. Gave up training and except for his Persian, adopting the rest of his team out. '

Kahua whispered a prayer before speaking up. 'A harsh lesson but it seems like he found a positive end.' He focused on the road for a moment to make a turn before continuing. You have good teachers. It saddens me to hear of Mr. Chang's troubles but it seems like they are doing their best to impart hard earned wisdom.' He smiled at the girl. 'The fact you understood and take his advice seriously is a good sign of your character. Lets not let this bring the mood down. I can take you to visit Winslow, the Houndour owner, this afternoon. How does that sound?'

Fara nodded. 'It sounds wonderful.'

'Good, now it looks like we are here.' he stated.

Looking ahead the girl saw a weather beaten wood gate. A sign attached to the fence next to it simply stated Andrea's Berries.

/

AN:

Hello!

It's been awhile since I last updated. I don't really want to go into detail but let's just say life hit me with some whammies and I needed to stop writing. I'm back for now and will try to catch up and get out some more chapters soon.

Thank you to those who have been patient. Just a heads up though. I will be making some editing changes on previous chapters in addition to writing new ones. This WILL NOT change the story. I've just noticed some minor discrepancies that need editing. Again I do not have a Beta so errors of all sorts may pop out. Feel free to PM me if you notice any.

-CGFlare


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